Playing Dramatical Murder
by Xx-Vampyre-Ninja-xX
Summary: It was a normal day for Seragaki Aoba until he and his friends were pulled into a room by a strange force to play a game. And it's about his future! What is going on here! *Characters playing the game story* Rating due to scenes in the game.
1. Chapter 1

**I've noticed no stories like this, so here I am. This is going to be about the characters playing DMMD and learning their future.**

 **I do not own DRAMAtical Murder. It is owned by Nitro + ChiRAL**

 **Parts from the game will be bolded.**

 _ **Italics will be the parts that Aoba is thinking; not being spoken out loud.**_

 **Underlined will be when Aoba is using Scrap.**

 **Remember these things, I'm not going to write them every chapter.**

 **And I apologize now if the characters aren't completely in character. I'm going off of what I've seen in the game/anime and on my own personal opinions of them.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to hikariyagaza for being the first person to show interest in this story.**

Aoba groaned, feeling something shaking him awake. His head was throbbing and he really didn't want to get up. But the shaking and the voice calling for him was extremely persistant.

"Aoba! Aoba, wake up!"

"Ren?" he asked, his eyes opening slowly as he saw the small dog next to him, his front paws resting against his shoulder where he had been shaking him. "What's wrong?" he added, sitting up and looking around.

The first thing he noticed was that he was in an unknown room. The second was that there were other people in the room; people he knew well. The person closest to him had pink hair.

"Baa-chan!" He exclaimed, going over to her. His mind vaguely registered that the other Allmates in the room were trying to wake their masters.

Tae stirred when Aoba moved her into his lap. Her eyes opened and she looked at him for a moment, as confused as everybody else who was waking up. He helped her stand and looked around the room.

"Aoba! Are you alright?" Koujaku asked, getting to his feet and going over to him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. But where are we?" He asked.

"Area unknown." Came Ren's answer at his feet. He bent down and picked him up.

"You are here to learn the future. More specifically, your future, Seragaki Aoba." A voice from no disternable sorce spoke. Everybody looked around, not seeing anybody.

"What do you mean my future?" Aoba asked, confused by that.

"Exactly what I said. This is what is to happen very soon in your life. This story will be told in video game format. So, Aoba-kun, are you ready to play?"

"I'm not playing games with you! We're leaving!" he exclaimed, turning to look for the exit, like the others in the room were already doing. But froze when he saw none.

"Nobody is leaving until you've played. The future must be changed. For the better. Now I will ask again. Are you ready to play?"

"You're not really giving me much of a choice are you?" Aoba muttered to himself. "Fine. I'll play you're game. Then you'll let us leave?"

"Of course." With that, a screen appeared with a digital keyboard situated infront of a series of couches. Everybody took a seat and he looked at the people around him. All familiar faces, except for one. He wanted to ask, but he wanted to get this over with. He figured he could ask later if they took a break if this took to long. With a small sigh, he pressed start.

 **And this is the first chapter. Next chapter will jump into the game so I'm going to need feedback at times about how in character the people are and I will make chances accordingly.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Dramatical Murder. It is owned by Nirtro + CHiRAL.**

Before Aoba could fully press start to begin this thing and get it over with, the voice spoke again.

"Remember, Aoba, that the choices you make will affect the future, so think wisely on what you pick."

That message seemed a bit cryptic, but he figured that since this was being shown to them like it was a game, then there was probably going to be some choices to be made. Of course he was going to be careful with what he chose. If this was really about the future, he didn't want to ruin it.

 **The scene starts with a phone ringing. Aoba is seen leaning back in his chair as he answered the phone.**

 **"Hello, thank you for calling. This is Junk Shop Heibon." he greeted.**

"Working hard there I see, Aoba." Koujaku said in a teasing tone.

"Of course, I work harder than you do." Aoba replied back. His attention was turned to Koujaku, who was sitting to the right of him so he didn't notice the little smirk Mizuki, who was sitting on his other side, was giving to Koujaku.

Mizuki knew how Koujaku felt about Aoba and had been trying to stublety get the two of them together. He wasn't the only one.

Tae was sitting on a chair near the group, watching how her grandson and his friend interacted. She was honestly surprised the two weren't already together, but she knew it would happen eventually.

Aoba and Koujaku finished their little back and forth, neither aware they had been being observed and the blue-haired man turned back to the game.

 **"Uh... Umm.. There is something I'd like to ask." Came the voice on the phone.**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"Do you have any custom parts for S II type Allmates in your shop?"**

 **"Yes, we do. We also have them in stock." He told him, checking the computer.**

 **"Ah, is that right. I see. Thank you very much."**

 **"Would you like to place an order?"**

 **"Ah, no. Um, well..."**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"Well, this may come off as very sudden, but..."**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"If you're okay with it, then... When your shop closes today, could I meet you?"**

 **"... What?"**

 **"Ah, no, umm, how should I say this, you see, your voice. It's like, you have a very nice voice, I was thinking..."**

"Well, that was a rather weird think to say." Mizuki commented.

"It is not the first time someone has said something like that to Aoba." Ren responded.

"Ren!" Aoba scolded, having wanted to keep that to himself seeing as it was a strange thing that happened way more than he would like.

"Apologies, Aoba. But they are your friends. You should hide it from them. Besides, I am sure things like this may come up again in the future."

Aoba sighed and patted the Allmate on the head, running his fingers through his fur.

 **He sighed. "...No, no, not at all, I'm very grateful. Ah, by the way, sir, I just remembered one thing, would that be all, right?**

 **"Ah, sure..."**

 **"In fact, to continue the talk about S II type custom parts a while ago, this time the new parts of that series will be arriving shortly.**

 **"Right..."**

 **"So, we are accepting reservations and specially introducing them only to the most loyal customers right now. Would you be interested? I think they will be popular products and will sell out immediately, but you will definitely be able to purchase them if you reserve now."**

 **"Yes, um, but..."**

 **"Of course, because this is a special opportunity limited to special customers only, if you would like to reserve.. I could do it for you as a service."**

 **"S-Service?"**

 **"Yes... a service."**

 **"A-Ah, then by all means! I'll- I'll make a reservation!"**

 **"Certainly, thank you very much. Now then, could you please send your personal date over here?" He asked, typing on the computer. The computer beeped after a moment. "... Okay, thank you very much! We have received your reservation. Well then, please keep supporting our shop in the future too!"**

 **"Yes!"**

 **"Thanks!" With that he hung up the phone with a sigh. "... Haah."**

"You're so good at making sales, Aoba-kun." Yoshie remarked.

"Yeah, he is a good employee." Haga agreed, glad to have Aoba working with him.

Aoba blushed lightly at their compliments and focused on the game, not noticing the fond look Koujaku was giving him.

 _ **As soon as I hang up the phone , I let out a huge sigh .Although I do it knowngly, speaking to the customers with ulerior motives is really annoying. Well, if it goes well, I'm sure to sell something so it's fine.**_

 _ **-Your voice is so wonderful, I need to meet you no matter what.**_

 _ **Among the people who contact our shop by phone, there are an awful lot of guys who say that. They want to meet me when all they know is my voice. If I was a woman it'd be better, but usually a guy wouldn't ask another guy something like that.**_

 _ **At first I could handle them well, but like anyone else would, I became irritated when it kept happening. But it also became easier to entice customers to buy products. From then on, like that phone call just now, I could make even more sales.**_

"Sales are worth making you uncomfortable, Aoba-kun." Haga told him. If he had known that people were making the boy uncomfortable, he wouldn't keep having him answer the phone, despite the rise in sales.

"It's fine, Haga-san. I can handle it." Aoba assured him.

"Well, if it keeps making you uncomfortable, let me know. I can handle the calls."

"I will." He agreed.

 _ **Strangely enough though, it doesn't happen in the actual shop. Sometimes a customer actually comes to meet me after a telephone call, but I just play it off. They all end up leaving without noticing I was the owner of that voice.**_

 _ **Since there's not much harm done, I just think "Well, whatever", and leave it be.**_

"That's strange. Why would it only be like that on the phone?" Koujaku asked.

Aoba shrugged. "I have no clue. I don't really mind that I don't have to actually deal with the guys who only want to meet me because of my voice. It's easier that they don't recognize me." He didn't notice the look on Tae's face, his grandmother in deep thought.

 **Here's the next chapter. Let me know how in character they are and whether I should have more of their reactions, or less. Remember, reviews are greatly appreciated(critizime or not) and will help make this a wonderful story for everybody to enjoy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro +CHiRAL.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to Pastel P0cky for being the first person to review and follow this story and Hari Datenshi for being the first one to favorite it.**

 ***See bottom for Author's note***

 **I just put the name next to the speaking parts for the three evils brats rather than repeatedly writing out this person said this or this person said that so you know who's talking.**

 **"Nnnn... Gah. The manager should be back soon."**

 _ **I stretch my arms out wide and place my eyes on the digital clock on the counter.**_ ***a sigh for the shop appears*** _ **This shop provides a variety of things ranging from small expendable supplies to specialized metal parts at a bargain price, Junk Ship Heibon.**_

 _ **I was attracted by the subtleness of the store name and started working here; I wonder how long it's been...Anyway, it was a long time ago.**_

"How long is a long time?" Koujaku asked, looking at Aoba.

"I don't remember. Aren't paying attention. It's been a few years now, I think." Aoba responded, turning to look at Haga to confirm. The man gave him a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds about right, Aoba-kun."

 ***a beep is heard***

 **"... Hm? A message, huh."**

 _ **I was spacing out and had my elbow on the counter when the Coil on my arm rang. A Coil is something like a mobile phone, but it's much more convenient than just that. Phone calls, messages, payments, identification, and of course watching TV can all be done with this one machine.**_

 **"Let's see..." Aoba pulls up the message screen on his Coil.**

 **"Captive Princess?"** _ **Is it a new kind of advertisement? The adult kind, maybe. It'll probably continue like "Please help me, I'm troubled by my aching body" or something. Delete.**_

"That sounds more like a message Koujaku would get." Mizuki stated, his tone teasing.

"Oi!" Koujaku snapped back, glaring playfully at his friend.

Aoba gave the both of them unamused looks, past used to this type of banter between them.

 _ **As I was handling my Coil, something slammed into my waist. I fall from the chair and something heavy lands on my back. Three giggling voices. The culprits had to be..**_

 **"Aoba's opeeen!" Nao**

 **"Open like a book!" Kio**

 **"You're so uncool!" Mio**

 ***Stats for the three children pop up***

"Why'd it do that? Mizuki asked.

"Use your head. This is a game system. It has to introduce the characters somehow." Tae said. Sure, she knew nothing about games. But even she could understand that.

"Then why didn't it do that for Aoba?"

"Because this is about him." That shut him up about it.

 **"...Why...you...braaaats!"**

 _ **The evil brat siblings finally appeared. The eldest son, Kio, the second son, Nao, and the eldest daughter, Mio. A group of annoying neighborhood kids who only come here to go on wild rampages.**_

Everybody had to agree that those kids were little pests. Except for the stranger with the black hair. Aoba still wasn't sure who he was and was dying to ask. But he didn't want to be rude and blurt out the question since he was sure it would be revealed at some point.

 **"I've told you guys so many times, this isn't a playground! Can't you kids learn anything?"**

 **"Aaah! Aoba's looking at a pervy e-mail!" Nao**

 **"Eh!?" Kio**

 **"No way!" Mio**

 _ **Nao raises his voice after looking at my Coil over my shoulder, and the remaining two hear it and lean all over me. I-I'm gonna suffocate...**_

 **"G-Get off me, stupid..."**

 **"Pervy e-mail! Pervy e-mail! Aoba's a pervert! Pervert!" Nao**

"I am not!" Aoba exclaimed, blushing lightly. "If anybody here is it's him." He jerked his thumb in Koujaku's direction, completely missing the fond look he had been giving him and didn't notice that it looked a bit hurt at that. Mizuki did notice and sent him a reassuring smile.

"Oi! I am no pervert. I would never do such a thing."

"I know that... I was just joking.." Aoba responded. He was, of course he was. You know, mostly. Koujaku gave him a look that said that he didn't believe him, but let it go.

 **"Grown-ups are dirty!" Mio**

 **"Nu-up! It's some message about buying bad stuff! 'Cuz this shop is sketchy!" Kio**

 **"Sketchyyy! Sketchyyy!" Nao**

 **"This shop really does suck!" Mio**

 **"Ugh... Guh."**

 **"All right! Let's arrest the pervy, dirty, and sketchy Aoba!" Nao**

 **"Let's do it!" Mio**

 **"Arreeeest!" Kio**

 **"Gu, ugh... Get off already, you braaaaaaaats!"**

 **"Waaaaaaaaaaahh!" All three scream.**

 _ **I jolt up, lets wobbling, trying to shake them off. They don't care if I say they're childish. There's no way those kids would give up just like that.**_

 **"Hey, hey, that thing up on the shild, what's it used for?" Nao asked.**

 **"It's probably a tool to beat someone up!" his brother replied.**

 **"Scaaary! Boys are savages!" Mio**

 _ **Their attention had already moved on to other things...**_

 **"You guys... Geh!"**

 _ **I was shocked when I looked at my Coil. At some point it had started to display a completion screen. Oh yeah, I had a feeling I heard a strange sound from it a while ago... Maybe I accidentally pushed a button when I was messing with the kids. I hope I didn't download some strange program...**_

"I would be sure to tell you if it was something bad." Ren assured him.

"Thank you, Ren." Aoba reached down to scratch at the dog's head.

 **"Aaah, come on, this is horrible..."**

 _ **As I stand there confused, the retro bell on the front door rings.**_

 **"Phew, today's delivery destination was somewhat far."**

 _ **The store manager, Haga-san, who had gone out for a delivery was back.**_

 ***Haga's information appears***

 **"I'm sorry for being late, Aoba-ku..."**

 _ **Haga-san's smiling face droops when he sees the evil brats. Considering the damage they caused to the shop, well, it's a natural reaction.**_

"I'm sorry you have to deal with those kids all the time, Haga-san." Yoshie told him, patting him on the arm reassuringly.

"It's alright." He told her. Though he wished they'd leave his shop alone.

 **"...Oh, you kids, hello. You're here."**

 **"Kio, take that dooown." Nao**

 **"Wait a sec. Here we... Hiya!" Kio**

 **"Kio's shorter than I thought!" Mio**

 **"What'd you say!?" Kio**

 **"H-Hey kids, it's dangerous to play inside the shop. You might get hurt."** _ **Haga-san warns in confusion. But the brats aren't listening.**_

 **"Just an inch...! Eih!" Kio**

 **"K-Kids..."**

 **"Aaagh! You're so noisy!" Kio**

 **"Shut up baldyyy!" Nao**

 **"...Ah." Kio**

 **"Ah." Mio**

 **"Ah." Aoba said.** _ **...Oh boy, he said it.**_

 _ **The air around Haga-san freezes.**_

The air in the room felt the same. Aoba quickly continued to get through this to snap Haga out of it.

 **"...You children playing there. Excuse me for asking, but...What was that just now...? Come on, please try saying it one more time. The first syllable was... ba?"**

 **"Ba..." Nao**

 **"Ba?"**

 **"Ba... Ba... Ba-Bad, this is bad, my stomach hurts, so- I- I'm going hoome!" Nao**

 **"Yeah, let's go home!" Kio**

 **"Let's go!" Mio**

 _ **The evil brats run out of the store at full speed.**_

 **"...Ba...? What was the continuation of ba... What happened to the ba..."**

 **"Ah, that's right boss! Yes, yes, listen to this!"** _ **I start talking in a hurry to the mumbling Haga-san.**_ **"There've been more orders for the S series of A parts again!"**

 **"...Parts?"**

 **"Yes! Wow, just like we expected! It's just like you said! It's a 50% increase in sales from last month!"**

 **"Is that...so."**

 **"Yes it is! It's increasing! The sales are doubling!"**

 **"Sales...doubling! Well, well, that's good to hear. If they are selling so well, we should increase the stock a little."**

Luckily, the room returned back to normal at the same time as in the game. Though it was information Haga had already heard before.

 _ **After Haga-san listens to my good news, he finally returns to normal. What a relief... That was dangerous. Haga-san is so outrageous that once he snaps, he begins to act violently... When he returned to his usual state, he pushed up his glasses, raised his eyebrows, and laughed.**_

 **"Ah, really... They sure are some troubling children, aren't they."**

 **"Y-Yeah. Aren't they?"**

 **"If they weren't so mischievious, they'd be quite cute..."**

 **"That's for sure!"**

 _ **I'm still surprised no matter how many times I see him change to almost a different person. I think it's said that people like that are fast to flip the switch...**_

 **"Oh yeah, Aoba-kun."** _ **Haga-san walks to the counter and picks up a bag by his feet.**_ **"I'm sorry, but could you deliver this baggae to the courier? You can wrap it up for today as you go."**

 **"Eh, is that okay?"**

 **"Yes. In fact, a customer is suddenly coming here today, so I thought I'd close the shop early."**

 **"In that case, I'll do it."** _ **I pick up my bag next to me and take the paper bag from Haga-san. As I check the slip, I notice the destination is a bit far. This is a package going to the courier.**_

 **"I'll be leaving then. And thanks for today."**

 **"Yes, good work. Be careful."**

"I can tell why you were so eager to get out of there." Koujaku said in a low voice to Aoba, so only the blue-haired man could hear him.

"Haga-san is great. But he does have his moments like those. Luckily not to often." Aoba responded, speaking in the same tone as Koujaku without even realizing it.Nor did he realize that he had been leaning closer to the other man while they were speaking.

Everbody else in the room noticed though. But nobody made any comments about it.

 **Well, here's the next chapter. We introduced Haga and the brats. Next chapter will have Koujaku and Yoshie. Probably won't get to Mizuki, but we'll see.**

 **This week, I've been playing through all the routes in the game, and I have to say that my favorite is definitely Koujaku's. But I do have a question for all of you. Since this is following Koujaku's route, should I add the others as well? Since it does contain useful information. I won't do their full routes, just starting from entering Platinum Jail. It won't be until this route is finished. But if it's something you guys would be interested in reading, I need to know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

 **I know this chapter is a bit short. But I work two jobs, so I'm doing what I can. Next chapter will be longer and cover a lot more than this.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the people who reviewed. You know who you are.**

 _ **I bow at the widely smiling Haga-san and step outside. The time display on my Coil reads 3:00PM. Some people mingle in this area even though it's a back street. There were several routes I could use to get to the courier. I wondered which would be the fastest.**_

 _ **I take a soft lump of fur with both of my hands out from my bag on my shoulder. While holding the sleeping lump of fur, I start it up by pressing my hand against its forehead.**_

 ***scene shows Aoba holding Ren, asleep in his arms***

Aoba couldn't help but smile when he saw Ren, reaching over to scratch the dog on the head. Ren's tail wagged happily at that.

Koujaku watched Aoba smiling and couldn't help but smile a bit himself, thinking that the blue-haired man was so adorable when he smiled. Not that he would ever say it out loud. He didn't want to make the other think he was weird. Well, weirder than he probably already did.

 **"Ren. Wake up."** _ **When I call him, he opens his deep-black eyes with a click.**_

 **"... Aoba."**

 **"I'd like to go to the courier, can you search for the quickest route?"**

 **"Understood."**

 _ **Silently, Ren lightly touches his paws to my upper arm.**_

 **"Road 241 at east is blocked because of a police inspection. Buses are canceled for maintenance. It is quicker to make a detour bypassing the north terminal."**

 **"I see, thanks."**

 _ **When I pat his head, Ren barks once and wags his tail.**_

 **"Okay. Let's get going."** _ **I put on the headphones hanging around my neck and press play.**_

 ***Opening movie plays***

"Well, that was weird." Mizuki said, obviously confused by what just happened. Glancing around the room, he noticed the others were as well. Though not the strange man that nobody here knew. He made a mental note to speak to him later.

"Yeah..." Aoba agreed. He was curious about the people that were shown that he didn't know. He wondered what part they were going to play in the future and knew the only way to find out was to keep moving forward.

 ***Scene changes to show Old Resident District***

 _ **The best way to travel around here is by foot. It's what everybody transportation system in the Old Resident District is pretty bad. There's a big street running through the center of the city, and sometimes there may be a bus or a train, or even a taxi. But they also can be cancelled or delayed without noitce, so they're not really reliable. The roads might be blocked at any time too, so nobody trusts public transportation. Even now there are hardly any cars on the streets. There's only one taxi waiting in vain and some junked cars parked by the roadside. The sidewalk is filled with people coming and going. The most reliable thing you could have are your own legs.**_

 _ **The hopeless Old Resident District is divided into North, South, East, and West. They're similar but have some differences. For example, the East district, where both Heibon and my home are, is a residential area mixed with parts of downtown. The whole district is relatively safe and it's easy to get your hands on various things.**_

 _ **The North district is an off-limits area, and has become something like a ghost town. It's unsafe.**_

 _ **The West district is a residential area, but you can't really do any shopping there.**_

 _ **The South district is fully of clothing shops, game arcades, and entertainment facilities, so a lot of young people go there.**_

 _ **And if you go further than the North district, there's Platinum Jail, a place full of celebrities and coporate purveyors. Platinum Jail is one of the five Japanese conglomerates. And when Toue Inc. bought this island, Midorijima, they transformed it to a members-only entertainment area. If the stories I've heard are true, everything there seems to be luxurious.**_

 _ **Starting with Oval tower standing in the center of the city, there are huge casinos, movie theaters, shopping malls, and hotels... Anyway, it's packed with all sorts of things. Basically, you can't become a member unless you're invited, but the membership fee is about enough to buy this whole island... or so I've heard.**_

 _ **Of course people here in the Old Resident District can't get into Platinum Jail. The Old Resident District is, so to speak, almost like a slum, so it's tentatively managed to the degree that barely anyone can live there. But that's it. The police who only act big are teamed up with the yakuza and do whatever they want, so there's a huge difference between here and Platinum Jail.**_

Koujaku's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the yakuza.

Aoba, noticing how tense he was getting, sent him a reassuring smile.

Koujaku smiled back, feeling his heart skip a beat at Aoba's smile. He quickly turned his head away in case he started blushing.

 _ **It's not like we can do anything about it. Even if we're unhappy, we can't do anything but endure and swallow it. Even so, it's often said that there's no place like home, so once you get used to it, living here is unexpectedly comfortable. We're not cornered so badly we can't live, and we have our nice days. I don't wish for much. I don't mind if it continues like this. The people in the Old Resident District live thinking like that.**_

 **"Aoba... Aoba."** _ **Ren pokes his head out of the bag and taps my arm with his paw.**_

 **"What's the matter?"**

 **"You are thinking too much. My thought circuit is almost short-circuiting."**

 **"Seriously? Just how poor of a thought circuit did I install in you?"**

 **"If the intensity of the thought circuit is temporaily set to 100 and compared to the average adult male, the intensity of Aoba's thought circuit would be..."**

 **"Is that so."** _ **I involuntarily smile at Ren's earnest answer and stroke his head.**_

"You guys have such a weird relationship." Mizuki commented.

"It's not weird. Ren is my partner. You wouldn't understand. You don't have an Allmate." Aoba responded to him and turned to Koujaku. "Right, Koujaku?"

"That's right." Koujaku instantly agreed, his hand absently rose to his shoulder to where Beni was sitting. The bird preened under his touch, happy that the man was standing up for him.

 **Again, sorry this is so short. Think of this like a transistion chapter and I promise the next one will be longer.**

 **Am I doing good with their responses? More or less? Who do you want to react more to things? I know I keep mainly doing Aoba, Koujaku, and Mizuki. Should the others react more too?**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

 **See bottom for author's notes.**

 ***Screen shows Ren***

 _ **Ren is a dog type Allmate. Allmates are artificial life forms with intelligence, generally used as support for network tools. They can search the internet and virtual space for information, and of course, they can also be used to shop online. Depending on the model, it's also possible to use one as a helping hand around the house,**_

"Like mine is." Haga commented suddenly.

"Definitely helpful around the shop." Aoba agreed.

 _ **and they play an active part as a partner in a net game called Rhyme. There are many types of Allmates, among them are animal types which have many different forms; many people love them as pets.**_

"Like my dear Clara." Yoshie stated, pulling the dog into her lap, not having noticed said dog had been inching her way towards Ren. Ren was relieved that she hadn't gotten any closer than she had.

 _ **Ren and I have been together for quite a long time, too. I'm not exaggerating to say I would even call him my partner. Even as Allmates improve and new models come out, I wouldn't abandon Ren even if hell froze over.**_

"Thank you, Aoba. That means a lot, coming from you." Ren told him, his tail wagging a bit.

"And I mean it too. You're irreplacible." Aoba assured him.

 **"Aoba, if you want to take a shortcut, turn right at the next road."**

 **"Ack, that was close. Almost missed it."**

 ***Scene changes to alley***

 _ **Following Ren's instructions, I enter into a narrow side street. Once I get through here, I'll be close to the courier. The thing that acts as a divider to the four parts of the Old Resident District is a street called Aoyagi Street. On Aoyagi Street, there are lots of stores where you can get common items cheaply. In contrast, there are many maniac hobby stores in the back streets.**_

 _ **As I walked on the side street, a group leaning untidily against a dirty wall stand out. Like guys taking turns biting a silver drug sheet... That sort of atmosphere. What's wrong with punk kids these days. There was a time when I thought those kind of things were normal. I was the same. But hey, it's not like I'm old enough to speak like a grandpa... I'm finished with that kind of thing. Totally.**_

"You did drugs, Aoba-chan? You don't seem the type. I never would have suspected that about you." Yoshie responded. Haga next to her gave him a concerned look.

"It was years ago and it was a stupid mistake that will never happen again. Besides, Granny would kill me if I ever did them again." Aoba said.

"You bet I would." Tae responded, giving him a stern look.

 _ **As I pass between the guys hanging out, the contents of their loud conversation reach my ears.**_

 **"... So yeah, seems like it really happened. Suddenly being hijacked in the head, like this?"**

 **"What the hell's that? A forced Rhyme participation?"**

 **"Yeah yeah. It's exactly that. A Rhyme game would suddenly start at some random roadside, and the opponent is crazy strong too."**

 **"But wouldn't that mean Usui's not there? If so, is it even possible to do Rhyme?"**

 **"Seems like it's possible. I don't really get it though."**

 **"And if you're not even prepared or anything, isn't it impossible to fight? So you can't refuse?"**

 **"Apparently it's a no questions asked thing. Anyway, being forcibly pulled in and beatedn, it's like a Drive-By."**

 **"That's pretty bad."**

 _ **They seem to be talking about Rhyme. Rhyme is an avatar-type online fighting game. When opponents connect their consciousnesses online with a device, they can experience a virtual battle that feels real. There's no notifications as to when and where it's happeneing at all. When "Usui", who performs the holding and judging of the game, appears, then that place becomes the field. At first it was a free game made by an amateur; the rules where loose and apparently there was no Usui either. When it gained popularity fast, Toue In. affliliated companies finally became sponsors. Then, there was the strenghtening of the system with the adding of Usui and set official rules which is what Rhyme is today. Well, since I'm not doing Rhyme it doesn't concern me.**_

"That feels like forshadowing." Haga stated.

"Foreshadowing?" Mizuki asked, confused by that. He felt it was something he should know.

"When something happens that gives hints of what is to come in the future. Don't they teach you kids anything these days?" Tae answered him.

"Oh..." Mizuki muttered, feeling stupid for not remembering what it was.

 ***scene changes***

 _ **I pass through the alley and walk onto Aoyagi Street again. I can see the courier's sign at the end of the wide road. While walking towards it, I notice a thick crowd in the middle of the road. It seemed to be a loud fight. Curious onlookers gathered around and made noise. I continue to walk, trying to avoid the whole mess. A stir in the crowd suddenly occurs, followed by a shrill scream.**_

 **"Hm?"** _ **I look into the center between curious onlookers, standing on my tiptoes. A big bulky man shamefully lies on the ground while another man stands next to him. The man standing was facing away from me. Even so, I immediately recognize him. A bright red kimono and a big sword. It can only be him.**_

"And there's Koujaku. When am I going to show up?" Mizuki asked, turning to Aoba.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Well, it's about you so you should know best, right?

"I'm sure it's sometime soon since it's such a big deal to you."

Koujaku laughed slightly at their interaction, but stopped once Aoba gave him a look.

 **"You're a big guy, but you weren't that much of a big deal. I can't believe you'd make mess in front of such a fine lady."**

 **"Kyaaa! Koujaku-saaaan!"**

 **"So cool! Soooo dreamy!"**

 _ **When Koujaku taps the sword to his shoulder, the heart-eyed girls rush to him while stepping on the man laying on the ground. Sheesh...**_

 **"Umm... Um, I'm really sorry..."** _ **A woman who was standing at a distance approaches Koujaku and apologetically lowers her head in a bow.**_ **"I was being selfish and I told him I wanted Koujaku-san to do my hair, and he..."**

 **"So cheeky!"**

 **"Yeah! Know when it's your turn!"**

 _ **The embarrassed woman seems to be the lover of the man still laying on the street. Perhaps the two tried to enter Koujaku's shop... and started an uproar or something.**_

"Do things like that happen a lot, Koujaku-kun?" Haga asked.

"More than I'd like. But what can I do? It's like those kids who keep coming into your shop." Koujaku told him. Haga gave him a look of understanding.

 _ **Koujaku controls the surrounding woman gently with hand gestures and smiles at the bowing woman.**_

 **"Young lady, if that's what you think, then I fell nothing less than honored and priviledged to be a hairdresser. Then again, you are all my precious customers. It's really important to keep the line in order."**

 **"Yes..."**

 **"Your boyfriend was a bit pushy, but he was thinking about what was best for you. Don't blame him too much, okay? Well please do come again someday. When you do, I'll welcome you."**

 **"Okay!"**

 _ **The troubled woman's expression changes incredibly quickly. Her eyes sparkle and she blushes up to her cheeks. Did this really have to happen...? The other surrounding women apparently didn't like where this was going, so they start to push around the enchanted woman.**_

 **"Hey! How long are you going to stand there? Move over!"**

 **"Umm, Koujaku-san! You broke a sweat, right? I just bought this handkerchief ahile ao, but.. if you'd like, please use it!"**

 **"No, I can't do that. You bought it because you liked it, right? You should use if for yourself."**

 **"It's okay! If Koujaku-san would use this, I'm sure this handkerchief would like it too!"**

"That's kinda a weird thing to say." Aoba stated.

"Yeah, but unfortunatly that's not the weirdest thing a customer has said to me." Koujaku stated.

"What is the weirdest thing someone's said?" Mizuki asked, leaning around Aoba to look at him, curious now.

Koujaku gave them both a look that said he wasn't going to talk about it and they dropped it after a moment.

 **"It too, huh... Since you said it like that, if I refused, I'd be out of line. Well, I'll thankfully use it then."**

 _ **Koujaku takes the woman's hand together with her handkerchief and draws them closer to himself, smiling.**_

 **"Thanks."**

 **"!"**

 _ **There it is. His famous lady killer smile. At least, that's what I call it.**_

 **"Haaaaah...!"** _ **The handkerchief woman goes into a weakened state and attracts glares full of terrible jealousy. Every single woman seems to be poised for the kill.**_

 **"... Let's go already."** _ **I've seen this act many times. Disgusted, I start to seperate from the crowd.**_

 ***screen shows Koujaku, holding his sword on his shoulder and surrounded by people***

 **"Aoba?"**

 _ **...Crap. I know that everybody's attention is now directed to me. Don't call out to me, not now... This is bad, let's pretend I didn't notice.**_

 _ **I turn on my heels and quickly start to walk away.**_

 **"Hey, wait."** _ **Koujaku, disregarding my attitude, runs after me and catches my arm. Here we go again...**_

 ***Screen focuses on Koujaku and states his name, showing his stats***

"Is it going to do that everytime someone is introduced?" Aoba asked, annoyed.

"Looks like it." Mizuki agreed.

 **"Aoba. It really is you!"**

 **"...Yo."**

 **"You've got some bad habits. If you're around, you should say something."**

 **"Well, yeah... I just happened to be passing during work."**

 **"During work? A delivery?"** _ **Koujaku breathes out and smiles. The surrounding womens' eyes become hearts again. That smiling is his habit from long ago, but there are plenty of women who still fall for it like this. It's like his sub-weapon. However... there are too many people so speaking is difficult... And the woman's eyes are scary.**_

 **"But don't you have work too? Then again, there's all this commotion here."**

 **"Yeah, just because this guy here tried to ignore the line. Nothing to hard to handle.** _ **Koujaku points at the man who is face down on the road.**_

 **"If you won't give it a rest, someone's going to stab you."**

 **"Stabbed? By whom?"**

 **"If you look around, you'll see..."**

 _ **Feeling jaded, I look at the women who were glaring back at me. It almost feels like they're saying "It doesn't matter if you're a woman or a man, if you get close to Koujaku, I'll never forgive you!" with nothing but their glares.**_

"I really wish you wouldn't bring attention to me like that..." Aoba told him.

"I'm sorry Aoba. I know how you feel about crowds. I'll be sure to remember better in the future." Koujaku assured him.

"You better.." Aoba muttered.

 **"Ah, well, it should be fine. Do I look like I'd be stabbed that easiely?"** _ **Koujaku lifts the edges of his mouth into a smile and laughs. This guy... But he certainly is skilled so I won't say anything.**_

 _ **Koujaku has been aware of the merits of his looks for a long time now, and, not to put it bluntly, he's a casually confident man that's pretty good at fighting. He works as a women's hairdresser at his own pace, and he seems to be quite famous for it. He works according to his own whims and sets up his signs when he wants to. There's no notice, and he doesn't take resrvations. Despite that, people always line up immediately. Whenever Koujaku touches your hair, it's supposed to send you to heaven... I can't even imagine how that works. Through my own eyes, this good guy act seems nothing but cheap.**_

"Rude." Koujaku told him, playfully nudging him.

"Not rude if it's true." Aoba said, his voice serious.

Koujaku gave him a look of disbelief before Aoba smiled slightly to show he was just messing with him. The older man couldn't help but smile in return.

 **"Anyway, keep fooling around within bounds. How many women do you think are off crying in the shadows?"**

 **"You keep saying that but I can't help it, it's shameful for a man to refuse a woman when she offers herself to him. Women are the treasures of this world. Women are pretty and cute. So I want to be gentle to everyone."**

 ***girls squeel in the background***

 **"Koujaku-san, you're so cool!"**

 **"I love you!"**

 **"... Well, I guess it's fine like that then. Anyway, I'm going."**

 **"Right."**

 **"Koujaku-san, hurry!"**

 **"Hey there, it's my turn next."**

 **"..."** _ **As soon as I was finished talking, the women went back to mobbing Koujaku. Standing in the middle, Koujaku looks at me as if he just remembered something.**_

 **"Ah, that's right. I'll come visit your place some time, so give my best regards to Tae-san."**

"You come over way to often." Tae stated. But she never really minded. Though she wouldn't admit it out loud. Plus, it always made Aoba happier to have him over, so she couldn't argue with that.

"Just can't help myself. You make the best food on the island." Koujaku told her.

"So your just coming for the food? I should have known." Tae said.

"N-No! That's not it!" Koujaku stuttered, afraid he had insulted her. That wouldn't get him any points with Aoba.

"You also come to see Aoba, correct?" Tae asked.

Koujaku flushed, though luckily the man in question hadn't really noticed, only turning towards him when his head was away.

"He is my friend, so of course I want to see him." Koujaku said, trying to play it off. Though he could tell by Tae's face that see could see straight through him. Luckily though, she let the matter drop.

 **"Yeah, yeah."** _ **I give a short answer and start walking again. Even so... That guys didn't seem tired at all. He does anything he likes because he says women are treasures, but for me it's just impossible. Isn't it said that people like him are a certain kind of character? While listening to the womens' bubbling voices from behind, I walk to the courier.**_

 **Well, here's the next chapter. We've finally reached Koujaku's entrance. Up next will be Yoshie and Mizuki. Maybe getting to Tae, depending on how it goes. Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter and what I can do to improve the story.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

 _ **A specialized shipping office, "Delivery Works". I enter through the sign-bearing automatic doors and am greeted by the smiling face of Yoshie-san, who sits at the reception desk.**_

 ***Yoshie shown on screen***

"It didn't do the stat thing for her." Mizuki commented.

"Weird.. It did for everybody else so far, even the brats." Aoba repsonded.

"If you guys want to know, I can just tell you." Yoshie stated. She opened her mouth to continue, but Aoba cut her off.

"It's alright, Yoshie-san. We should continue." She pouted a bit at that, but let it continue forward.

 **"Welcome. Oh, Aoba-chan. Hello!"**

 **"Thanks, as usual."**

 _ **I bow slightly and put the paper bag on the counter. A small dog with dangling, glossy fur sits proudly on the counter and closely watches my movements. It's the sign dog of this shop, Yoshie-san's Allmate, Clara.**_

Clara had begun to inch her way towards Ren again, but stopped when she appeared on screen to watch.

 **"I'd like to send this, please."**

 **"Yes, yes. I'll take care of it."**

 _ **With experienced hands, Yoshie-san checks the address and pushes a nearby button. A bo next to the counter opens and she throws the paper bag inside.**_

 _ **The courier is a shipping service that sends packages immediately to anywhere in the Old Resident District. Even though we're on a small island, no could possibly walk the same distance within a day. That's why in this town, where automobiles and such an inconvenience, it's very useful.**_

 _ **... Now then. With this, my work today is finished.**_

 **"Well then, excuse me."**

 **"Aoba-chan, are you going back to the shop after this?"**

 **"No, I'm going home for today. The manager is closing the shop early, so he said I can go home once I'm done with this."**

 **"Oh! Is that so! Isn't that nice? Doesn't the last episode of "If it's Dan" air today? You can watch it real-time!"**

"I don't watch that show, Yoshie-san." Aoba told her.

"What!? But it's so good." Yoshie told him.

"... Maybe I'll check it out sometime..." he told her, though he was sure he wouldn't. But hearing that made her brighten up.

 **"Dan...? What's that?"**

 **"No way! Didn't I just tell you the other day!?"**

 **"Ah, did you... Uh... What was it again?"**

 **"It's a drama, a dra-ma! "Goodbye With a Cheek Dance"! Today it's finally decided who will be the partner! I'm definitely thinking that Kaiser Matsuoka would be perfect! That fresh smile is absolutely beautiful, I just can't get enough!"**

 **"Right..."**

 _ **Yoshie-san wraps her hair around her finger and looks absent-minded with eyes like a girl in love. Well... She isn't really a bad person.**_

 **"Well, I'll be taking my..."**

 **"Speaking of which Aoba-chan, have you heard? You know, that story, that story. I think you may not know!"**

 _ **Yoshie-san seems to be quite serious and draws her eyebrows together while beckoning... She's not a bad person... I give up and bring my face closer to hers. There are not other people in the shop, but for some reason Yoshie-san starts to speak in a whispering voice.**_

 **"You know, Hyougandani in the North? That dangerous district. It was never a good place from the start, but recently I've heard dangerous rumors."**

 **"Yeah?"**

 **"There seems to be a team whose leader is a super diabolical condemned criminal!"**

"Are you talking about Scratch?" Koujaku asked. Most of the teams were alright, for the most part. Except for when they attacked innocent people. But, he believed that Scratch was the worst. And with the way it was brought up, he had the feeling that they would somehow be involved in the future. He made a mental note to keep an eye on Aoba for his protection.

"Sounds like them." Mizuki added, mentally agreeing with Koujaku without even knowing what he was thinking.

 **"Ah. Scratch, was it? Some dangerous gang seems to be around that area a lot now."**

 **"Yes, yes, the team seems to be completely made of prisoners. If I remember right, even before that there were stories about people getting kidnapped, or buildings being destroyed, right? That's so scary! You can't even walk alone peacefully at night. And the police aren't reliable at all... Not to mention they don't know what to do for us. Really, it's a hard world we live in."**

 _ **It's true that the police of the Old Resident District hardly do their jobs. They don't care if crimes are committed. For example, when passing a policeman, if you get on his nerves even just a little bit, you'll be punched, or in worst case, arrested. They're just like yakuza.**_

 **"Aw, yuck. I want to go home soon too. Hey, what do I do if I'm attacked on the way home!?"**

 **"Eh?"**

 _ **Yoshie-san sends me a meaningful looks with sparkling eyes.**_

 **"...I-I think you'll be fine."**

"You're so mean, Aoba-chan!" Yoshie-exclaimed.

"I'm sorry.. I just need to get home on time." Aoba told her. Though he knew he would have wanted to be gone even if he didn't have a curfew.

 **"What, what, whaaaat!? Aoba-chan, how mean! How can you just say I'll be fine!?"**

 **"Ahh well, I'm finished so... Good job today."**

 **"Wait."**

 _ **When I try to hurry to the exit, I'm stopped by a different voice than Yoshie-san's.**_

 **"Huh?"**

 **"I wonder how the blue one is doing?"**

 **"Oh Clara-chan. Did you miss Ren? That's right, Clara-chan is a very good friend of Ren-chan's!"**

"She is not my friend." Ren commented, his voice low. Only Aoba and Koujaku, who were sitting closest to him heard him.

Aoba gave him a small pat in comfort, already mentally apologizing for what he could guess was to come.

 _ **Yoshie-san lifts Clara in her arms and looks at me with eyes full of expectation.**_

 **"Uh, unfortunately I left him at home..."**

 **"He's in that bag of yours, isn't he? Were you going to leave without having him saying hello to me?"**

 _ **When she presses me like that, I know I can't escape anymore. I'm sorry Ren... But endure if for a little while. I take out Ren, who's in sleep mode, from the bag and tap his head lightly to start him.**_

"Sorry buddy.." Aoba whispered down to Ren.

"I understand, Aoba." Ren assured him.

 **"...Aoba. What's the matter?"**

 **"Ren. Um, could you say hi to Clara-chan?"**

 **"..."** _ **Ren's tail and ears droop. In front of him is the cocky Clara-chan being held by Yoshie-san.**_

 **"..."**

 **"What is it? Is he stil asleep?"**

 **"...How are you, Clara?"**

 **"I'm fine, Ren."**

 _ **Clara wags her tail joyfully. Yoshie-san also lowers the corners of her eyes and smiles.**_

Clara had begun her trek in moving closer to Ren. She was going to make him fall for her whether it was the last thing she ever did!

 **"Really, Clara-chan and Ren-chan are such good friends!"**

 **"Ah, ahahaha... Since the greetings are over, this time I really..."**

 **"Ah, wait! Wait a minute, Aoba-chan!"**

 **"...Huh..."**

 **"Just one thing! Wait just a minute! Sorry, I know you're leaving!"**

 **"..."**

 _ **When I was freed from Yoshie-san and went out, it was already night time.**_

 **"... Ren, good job back there."**

 **"... If it can't be avoided, I'll do what I must."**

 _ **Ren crouches down in the bag wearily. Clara seems to like Ren in such a manner that when our eyes meet, it looks like he's begging for help. The personality of Allmates can be set to one's liking, it changes with each environment little by little. As a result, a difference comes out in the chemistry between Allmates just like with people. Ren seems to not like Clara. Unfortunately for Ren, I think it's a bit entertaining.**_

Ren gave Aoba a betrayed look. In return Aoba gave him an awkward smile. But he knew that the dog would forgive him since it had been an unavoidable situation.

Clara had almost reached Ren, not even noticing what was happening on screen when she had been snatched back by Yoshie, who hadn't really noticed she was trying to get close to Ren. She just wanted to hold her dog.

 **"Are you okay too, Aoba?"**

 **"...Somehow."**

 _ **After Yoshie-san stopped me, I was treated to a cake that had a huge amount of whipped cream on it; she'd made it in a cooking class... More accurately, I was forced to eat it all. Thanks to that, I now have severe heartburn.**_

"I'm sorry, Aoba-chan." Yoshie said, feeling a bit bad about that. She made a mental not to use less whipped cream in her cooking.

"It's alright, Yoshie-san..." Aoba assured her. Though he wasn't looking forward to the cake.

 **"So, let's go home now..."**

 _ **I pat Ren's back to encourage my fellow soldier who has baarely evaded death, and begin to walk towards home.**_

 _ **The town was now dressed in night and flashy neon lights lit up the shops everywhere. Because illegal construction isn't regulated, the sky in the Old Resident District is covered with the shadows of distored buildings. That's why it's kind of dark even during the day. When night falls, groups that almost seem like they were hiding until then come out. Ribsteez groups gather too, so there's a completely different vibe from daytime.**_

 _ **Ribsters are people in the Old Resident District teaming up and fight in turf wars by themselves. Because Ribsteez is older than Rhyme, the gus doing Rib look down on the ones doing mostly Rhyme. The Ribsters think of those who do Rhyme as 'big headed wish guys who live in their own fantasy worlds". But since it seems like some Ribsters are switching to Rhyme, lately there have been many quarrels between the two groups.**_

 _ **While I advance through the lively atmosphere, my hand is suddenly grabbed from behind.**_

"Now what?!" Aoba asked, his tone slightly annoyed. He could tell he was already late in getting home and he really wasn't looking forward to Tae yelling at him again.

"Maybe it'll be someone you know, Aoba-kun." Haga said, trying to be optimistic.

"...Maybe..."

 **"!"**

 **"Ooh, isn't this a Brain Nuts jacket?"** _ **The person who grabs my arm is a frivolous man whose hair is dyed red. Probably younger than me.**_

"Or not..." Haga said with a sigh.

 **"Hey, wasn't this design on premier right now?"** _ **This time a green haired guy comes closer with a smile. Wow, their hair colors, is it Christmas?**_

 **"Oh no, I want this soooo bad! Hey, mister!"** _ **The red haired one looks at me with an artificial smile.**_

 **"... They sell these at the shop in front of the station."** _ **When I try to shake off his hand with great effort, the redhead looks at me angrily.**_

 **"Wait a sec, hey."**

 **"What's with your attitude?"**

 **"I'm tellin' you I want this right here and now. You deaf?"**

 **"And by the way, we're Bug Bomb. Ever heard of us? So, what's all this? You underestimating us?"**

"Those guys are hardly a threat. You can definitely take them, Aoba." Mizuki commented. He didn't see Bug Bomb as a threat. Glancing at Koujaku, he knew his friend felt the same.

"It's not going to come to a fight..." Aoba said, though he didn't sound to convinced. But he was also sure he would be able to handle them in a fight. They didn't look to tough.

 _ **The green haired guy holds out his writs proudly. On it is a tattoo of a winking girl with enormous breasts leaning over a big pink bomb. Whoa. Aren't these guys ashamed of having someone carve that on them... And I haven't heard of Bug Bomb before. Even though this tattoo would also be a thing that people in teams do, I knew very well that these guys were underlings. Because they're only that, they like to pick fights openly like this.**_

 **"Lame."**

 **"Aah? What'd you say just now?"**

 **"I just called you lame."**

"You should antaganize people, Aoba." Tae stated. She still remembered what had happened a few years ago. It wasn't something she wanted to repeat.

"..Just stating a fact, Baa-chan." Aoba responded. He grimanced whens he gave him the 'Look'. "..Sorry.." He muttered.

 **"Huuuh? You, what's your team?"**

 **"I'm not in one."**

 **"Ha!? Don't tell me you're a no-mark?"**

 **"Seriously!?"**

 _ **Red and Green look at each other and started to smile stupidly.**_

 **"You can't be serious!"**

 _ **There are tag arts used as team symbols in Rib, and the teams' tag art is tattooed somewhere on your body when you join. Those who don't have a tattoo are assumed to not do Rib. That's why it's common that no-makrs become targets of fiversions for Ribsters. There's no team that holds a grudge if you happen to kill a no-mark.**_

"I'd hold a grudge if you were killed." Mizuki and Koujaku spoke at the same time. They looked at each other at that remark, staring each other down for a moment before smiling.

Aoba looked between the two of them and smiled as well.

 **"Heeh, if you're a no-mark, means it's okay to do you in."**

 **"Cause we can afford to. Hey bro, let's go over there for a little while, okay?"**

 **"Better leave while you're ahead."**

"And there you are, Mizuki." Koujaku said with a slight teasing voice. Mizuki glared at him in response.

 **"Huh!?"**

 _ **Red and Green throw an exaggerated glare at the voice coming from behind them.**_

 **"If you get involved with him, he'll break both of your jaws."**

 **"Haa? What? Who're you?"**

 **"...Aah."** _ **As soon as the green haired one sees the owner of the voice, his facial expresion stiffens.**_ **"Hey, this is bad..."**

 **"What's bad?"**

 **"That's... the leader of Dry Juice, Mizuki."**

 **"What!? Dry Juice...!?"**

 **"Do you know that guy's killer technique? Fox's heel drop. Eat it once and it'll break your jaw."**

"Fox's heel drop?" Aoba asked, looking at Mizuki.

"What? It sounds cool." Mizuki defended.

 **"Tch..! If you're from Dry Juice, you should've said so from the start!"**

 **"L-Let's scram!"**

 _ **After saying worthless last words, the two of them ran off like puppies with their tails between their legs. Witnessing that, the guy behind me laughs.**_

 **"That was pretty lame. If you're gonna run, don't start a fight at all."**

 _ **Already knowing his identity, I turn around.**_

 ***screen shows Mizuki***

 **"Yo."**

 **"Long time no see, Aoba."**

 ***screen shows Mizuki's states before showing Dry Juice symbol***

"Happy now, it showed your stats." Aoba said, teasing him like Koujaku had before.

"I hate both of you." Mizuki responded. Though from his tone it was obvious that he was happy.

 _ **This radiantly smiling guy is Mizuki, leader of the largest Rib team, Dry Juice. Look a bit lower than his dark hair and below on of his green eyes you'llf ind a tear tattoo, his team's symbol, proudly displayed on his dark skin.**_

 ***screen goes back to normal***

 **"What the heck was that fox's heel drop thing?"**

 **"I was talking about your foot tricks. I came up with the name just now, but whatever. I wasn't wrong to say you've broken some jaws before though, right?"**

"You have?" Haga asked.

"... It was years ago... I thought we already went over the fact I went through a rebelious phase." Aoba said. He chose to ignore the scoff that came from Tae at that. She knew it was a bit more than being rebelious.

 **"That was years ago."**

 **"I remember it clearly even now. But anyway, it's unusual for you to be here around this time."**

 **"Yeah, true."**

 **"Did you finally feel like joining me in Dry Juice?"**

"It's not going to happen. I've already told both of you I have no intrest in Rib." Aoba told them, looking at Mizuki and giving Koujaku a look when it appeared he was going to say something. They both gave him a smile, but didn't comment.

 _ **He smiled widely as he spoke, but I just shrugged my shoulders lightly.**_

 **"Nooo waaay. I Keep saying I don't want to, remember?"**

 **"Try joining a team, all sorts of good things come with it."**

 _ **MIzuki and I hung around a long time ago, we were friends that did a lot of stupid things. He has a friendly personality, but in tight situations he's capable of exact and tight reasoning. Since all the guys participating in Rib like to act real tough, I think it's pretty awesome that he was able to put so many of them together to make the largest Rib team. But I still have no plans to join Dry Juice or become a Ribster.**_

 **"Anyway, I hate anything that would cause me trouble."**

 **"I know. But lately, the state of our team has been somehwat fragile."**

 **"Fragile? Really? Isn't your team the best as always?"**

 **"It's because of that. Because of Rhyme."**

 **"Rhyme..."**

 _ **MIzuki's facial expression clouds.**_

 **"Our members are also sneaking to their side. It's fine to hear that Rhyme is a game where you battle with brains, but in the end it's just a delusional game, right? Honestly, I can't figure out what's so good about it. Are you delusionally protecting your turf or what?"**

"...It's just a game..." Aoba muttered quietly to himself. He didn't really understand why his friend got so upset about it. But since he didn't do Rib, he knew he wasn't going to be able to understand.

 **"Well, yeah, it's weird..."**

 _ **It's not like I couldnt understand the feelings Mizuki harbored against Rhyme. The same could be said about Rib; that it's a children's foolish war game. But despite that, Mizuki is thinking about his team seriously. He may not forgive the guys who easily jump at the trend.**_

"There have been a few members of my team who have switched." Koujaku said.

"And you don't try to stop them?" Mizuki asked.

"No, I don't have the right to. It's their business which they want to do, after all." Koujaku repsonded.

 **''And then there are those mysterious disappearances."**

 **"Mysterious disappearances?"**

 **"You've heard about them right? Stories about entire Rib teams going missing."**

 **"Yeah, I have, but isn't that like an urban legend? Besides, it's a rumor from ten years ago."**

 **"I don't know the reason, but recently there've been teams that I haven't been seeing for a while now."**

 **"Are you sure they just didn't make a mistake and get in trouble with the yakuza?"**

 **"More importantly, some members of the teams which disappeared have come back aimlessly after several days. But it seems they can't remember anything. They've forgotten themselves... It's like their brains have been destoryed or something."**

Nobody noticed the look on Tae's face at that. Her mind once again went back to the incident a few years ago. The only person who noticed anything off about her was the strange boy who hadn't spoken yet. He remained silent still, observing her before turning his gaze to Aoba and to the game.

 **"But about those disappearances, wasn't the sulprit that group Morphine? Morphine itself is like an urban legend."**

 **"Well, I guess so..."**

 ***screens shows Morphine's symbol***

Nobody noticed the grimance on the strange boy's face when Morphine was mentioned. In fact, it appeared everybody had forgotten he was in the room. But that was fine. He didn't mind being the observer. Plus, this gave him a chance to learn more about Aoba and that filled him with happiness.

 _ **... Morphine. Long ago, it was the strongest and most feared legendary team among Ribsters. Their tag art was full of black from top to bottom and had a heart and a cross. Their strength was wrapped in mystery. Though there were various rumors, all contents were scattered and nothing made sense. Those disappearances were the same. Even if there are guys that saw Morphine, there are no specific stories or evidence at all.**_

 ***screen goes back to normal***

 **"If it turns out that Morphine's not behind this, then I've been thinking that it's probably those Rhyme guys."**

 **"Isn't that a bit far-fetched?"**

 **"I'm not completely serious about it, it's just that they Rhyme guys have been getting carried away."**

 **"But as for thing ike the disappearances, and even destorying people's minds, can they even do that? Wouldn't it have caused a huge commotion if they could?"**

"There's no way anybody in Rhyme could do something like that." Aoba said, missing the look Tae gave him.

"I know that..." Mizuki said. He knew he had no proof against the Rhyme players. But they at least were real. Unlike the mysterious Morphine.

 **"No, I do know that. That's why I'm not too serious."**

 _ **Suddenly, a cheer arises nearby. Surrounding people begin to run in that direction. MIzui clicks his tongue and grimaces.**_

Mizuki made a face when the Rhyme game started up, much like his on-screen image.

 **"...Rhyme, huh... Aaaah, I'm not feeling too well. I'll be leaving. See you, and make sure to show your face at the shop."**

 **"Okay."**

 **"See ya."**

 _ **Mizuki waves with his open hand and advances through the crowd, pushing away those who are gathering at the Rhyme site.**_

 **Here's the next chapter. It took forever to write, but as promised we got through Yoshie and Mizuki's meetings. Next will introduce Tae and I don't know how much farther after that. Not going to make any promises about other characters since I don't know how far apart each meeting is. Writing this chapter made me understand how long this game is since it took an hour just to the game scenes in this. This story is going to be a long one, number of chapters, unknown. So I hope you all stick with me through it to the end.**

 **Please review and let me know how I'm doing. :3**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

 **See bottom for more notes**

 _ **After Mizuki's figure disappears completely, I turn my face to the direction in which everybody was running to. I don't hate Rhyme like Mizuki does, but I'm not very interested in it either. If ou meet Mizuki for the first time and talk about Rhyme with him, you'll probably hate it afterward.**_

 **"What's the matter?" Ren**

 **"Nothing. Let's keep going." Aoba**

 _ **I pat Ren's head and begin to walk in the noisy alley. Then... Suddenly, I'm wrapped in a white light.**_

"Huh?.. What's going on now?" Aoa asked, confused by that.

"I have no idea." Koujaku responded, clearly as confused as Aoba.

A quick glance around the room showed that he was not the only one. Only the unknown boy appeared the same.

 **"...?"** _ **A mass of light appears in front of me when I stop to see what happened. It gradually takes a human form and extends its hand towards me. Its fingertips brush my cheek- and vanishes.**_

"That was weird." Mizku commented.

Aoba hummed in agreement, continuing forward, hoping it would clear things up.

 **"Eh..."**

 _ **While I wonder what happened, many people suddenly swarm around me.**_

 **"E, ... Eh? Whoa!"** _ **I'm mobbed by an excited group. I don't think I can slip out of here...!**_

 **"Usui, Usui!"**

 ***Usui appears on screen***

Mizuki's eyes narrow slightly at the sight of Usui. Though he didn't make any rude comment towards Rhyme. It was clear he wasn't happy about how drawn out this was being.

 _ **A large circle of light floats on the ground, and what appears inside is... A body of a woman with multiple arms sways slowly, and then stops.**_

 **"Now, sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone! Rhyme's starting now! The first battle of today is between Rhyme names 'Player' and 'Route 44'!"**

 _ **...This is Rhyme. I've seen it several times at a distance, but this is the first time I've been up so close. What appears within the light is the symbol and referee of Rhyme, Usui. Usui speaks in a deep voice, contradicting its appearance.**_

 _ **While brightening the light and swaying two hands, a huge virtual monitor appears over its head. The audience can watch the state of the game from that monitor. The participants are already standing on both sides of Usui and adjust the settings on their Allmates.**_

 **"Can the newcomer successfully break a winning streak!? Or...!? Okay, 'Player' seems to have finished preparing! 'Route 44'... Are you almost ready too? Both seem to be finished! Well, then, let's start already! GAME...START!'**

 _ **Usui smiles and raises a hand with a graceful movement unfitting of its voice. The monitor emits a white light and projects the field. The audience cheers and hoots unanimously.**_

 ***veins flash briefly across screen***

The people in the room looked at Aoba in concern about his sudden pain.

Tae, while looking concerned, had a focused look on her face, connecting the pain to something only she knew about.

 **"...Agh."** _ **Suddenly, a sharp pain runs through my head.**_

 _ *****_ **veins flash***

 **"..."** _ **I hold my forehead and my gaze wanders. What? Is it because the audience is so loud?**_

 **"Aoba, are you all right?" Ren**

 **"...Yeah, I'm fine. But let's go now." Aoba**

 **"That would be for the best." Ren**

 _ **Passing somewhat foricbly between the spectators who were absored in Rhyme, I slip out from the mountain of onlookers. I lean on a nearby wall, exhale, and look down.**_

 **"...?"** _ **...Someone's here?**_

 ***Trip and Virus appear on screen***

The strange boy tensed when the two appeared on screen. Nobody else seemed to notice. Nobody that is, except Mizuki.

 _ **When I look up, I see a familiar duo.**_

 **"Good evening." Virus**

 **"Hey there." Trip**

 **"What's the matter? Are you not feeling well?" Virus**

 **"Being in that crowd make you sick?" Trip**

 ***Virus and Trip stats show***

 **"You two... Yeah, that might be the case..." Aoba**

 _ **The one with the glasses is Virus, and the powerfully built one is Trip. I've known these two for a long time.**_

 **"Aoba, how are you feeling?" Ren**

 **"So-so, but I'll be fine." Aoba**

 **"What are you doing in a place like this? It's rare for you to be watching Rhyme." Virus**

 **"Well, there's no particular reason." Aoba**

 **"Are you beginning to become interested in it?" Virus**

 **"Not really." Aoba**

 **"Then did you just wander around and wind up here?" Trip**

 **"I did not. And the same goes for you two, what are you wandering around here for?" Aoba**

 **"We are here because of work." Virus**

 **"It's because the Rhymers have been getting a little out of hand recently." Trip**

 _ **There are some so-called dangerous associations in the Old Resident District, these two are members of one. I got acquainted with them long in the past, back when I was in my teens and did stupid things. I spend all of my time in the western district Wanibashi and didn't go home, and for some reason I was always irritated.**_

 _ **When I was living like that, I once made a mistake in a fight and encountered a person who wanted revenge, and I was sent to the hospital. It's embarrassing to even remember... At the moment, only these guys and Granny know about those days. At one time, we lost contact with each other, but we began to talk again starting a few years ago.**_

 _ **I had become a part-timer, and they had joined the yakuza. Saying that, here the police are like yakuza so I don't think much of it.**_

Koujaku's eyes narrowed at the mention of the yakuza and he mumbled quietly under his breath to himself.

Aoba looked over to him, a bit concerned, but the older man waved him off and indicated he should continue with the game.

 **"Anyway, you two are looking as similar as always. Like twins." Aoba**

 **"We are not twins."/"We're not twins." both**

 **"Aoba-san, is your work going smoothly?" Virus**

 **"Aaah, you worked at an ice cream shop? The one with the penguin aprons? Didn't you get fired after one day?" Trip**

"Only one day, Aoba-kun?" Haga asked.

"It wasn't one day.. It was three. Besides, I'm happy with the job I have now. It's definitely better." Aoba told him. The older man beamed at him and he couldn't help but smile in return.

 **"Not one, three days. Now I'm a salesclerk at a junk shop." Aoba**

 **"Aah, what was it? Byoudou?" Trip**

 **"'Heibon'. I've worked there for quite a long time now." Aoba**

 **"Working at a place with that name doesn't quite fit you, Aoba-san. Well, if you want to behave violently again, call us any time. We are fairly prosperous, so I'd recomment it." Virus**

 **"Haha... I'll only accept your thoughts." Aoba**

 **"I still often think that I'd like to see your fighting again, Aoba-san." Virus**

 **"That's right, because we're your fans." Trip**

 **"Oh my, 'Route 44' takes 250 damage! Have we finally reached the climax!?" Usui**

 _ **The excitment of the auidence reaches its peak as Usui continues to broadcast the Rhyme... Then.**_

 **"HEY, you hooligans!"**

The younger generation in the room flinched at Akushima's voice. That guy was a complete menace and everybody there was hoping he wouldn't appear. Though with Aoba's luck, of course he would.

 _ **A voice enters, dividing the enthusiastic atmosphere.**_

 ***Akushima appears with stats***

 _ **Accompanied by police officers is the megaphone-holding, evil eyed detective Akushima.**_

 **"Ah, that noisy man has finally arrived." Virus**

 **"Don't go making a fuss here! ALL OF YOU FUCKERS ARE UNDER ARREEEEEST!"**

 _ **Usui disappears like smoke and the Rhyme is suspended. The participants and the spectators escape in all directions. Akushima. He's a detective who abuses his authority and does whatever he wants to. The number of victims who have been arrested or received abuse by this guy on false charges are countless. Fitting to his haggard appearance, he's called the god of death of the Old Resident District.**_

 **"Better run away from here. You hurry too, Aoba-san." Virus**

 **"Yeah." Aoba**

 **"Bye bye, Aoba." Trip**

 **"Wait you idiooots! DON'T RUN AWAAAAY! We're gonna arrest EVERY LITTLE SHITHEAD HEEEEEEERE!"**

 _ **I begin to run immediately so that I won't get caught by Akushima, who's just about to pop a blood vessel.**_

Mizuki had noticed the stranger had been slowly getting tenser and tenser as the conversation with the two blonds went on. He stood and went over to the guy, nobody else really noticing him moving.

The boy flinched slightly when he took a seat, but he didn't back down.

"Hi. I'm Mizuki, if you didn't already know." He introduced himself, though the game already had if the guy didn't know him. "And you are?"

"... Sei.. My name is Sei..." the boy answered.

"Sei, huh. It's nice to meet you.." He smiled at him. "I couldn't help but notice how tense you got when those two came on screen. Are you alright?" He also couldn't help but notice that the guy was kinda cute, but he was going to keep that one to himself.

Sei jerked his head in a nod, then shook it instead. "Those two are bad people. Aoba needs to stay away from them."

"Bad people, huh..." Mizuki examined Sei. The guy had this terrified look on his face. Though he could tell the fear was only partially for himself. ".. Did those guys do something to you? Something to hurt you?"

Sei drew his mouth in a tight line, but didn't respond. But, he didn't have to. His silence was answer enough.

"Listen. I don't know you, but I can tell you are a good person. And good people don't deserve bad things to happen to them. If those guys ever mess with you again, you can call me and I'll take care of them for you." Mizuki told him.

Sei looked at him, amazed by that. ".. You would do that for someone you just met?" he asked.

"Of course. Like I said, good people deserve to be protected." Mizuki responded. He didn't know why, but this guy gave off the same type of aura as Aoba. And that made him want to protect him, just like he would do for his friend.

They way Sei smiled at him in gratitude made his heart skip a beat and he smiled back in return, his face blushing though it wasn't noticable.

Across the room, where Mizuki had been sitting, Aoba and Koujaku were watching their interaction. Though they couldn't hear what was being said, they could see it. Just from the way Mizuki was acting with the guy, the two of them made a mental agreement to keep an eye on things to see where they went.

 **Well, didn't get far in the game. But there is some Mizuki x Sei to make up for it :) Not really an excuse for the short chapter, but I'm sorry.**

 **Every time I see this story has a new follower or new favorite, it makes my day so much better~ You guys rock~**

 **On a different note, I have just found out that a good friend of mine has a published book that she had mentioned to me last year, but it had slipped my mind until today when I went to her house and was physically holding the book in my hand. I'm reading it now and it's good so far. If anybody would be interested in reading it and helping support my friend, it is available for purchase at and it's called Sapphire Starr's Destiny.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL**

 **See bottom for important Author's note. Please read it.**

MIzuki decided to stay were he was sitting, by the strange boy, Sei. He was hoping they would get the chance to talk again at some point and that would be easier to do next to him.

It didn't appear that Sei minded him there. But really, he was tense inside, not used to people being close to him. At least, not people who didn't want to hurt him.

 _ **I decided to continue to Aoyagi Street.**_

 ***sounds of a motorcycle sound***

 **"!"**

 ***noise stops***

 **"...Egh."**

 _ **I almost get hit by a motorbike when I turn at the corner while running. I quickly roll onto the ground.**_

 **"..."**

 _ **I blankly look up at the bike. The man doesn't get off of it. His eyes are focused on me... When I see his eyes, for some reason, chills run through me. The man says nothing and speeds off on his bike again.**_

 **"!... Hey!"**

 _ **I stand up in a hurry, but it's already too late. The motorbike makes a roaring sound and speeds down the street in the twinkling of an eye.**_

 **"..."**

"That bastard! That was rude." Aoba exclaimed.

"At least you weren't hurt." Koujaku replied. If that guy had hit Aoba, even though this was a future event, he would have tracked him down and do something he'd probably regret later.

Aoba gave him a look and just continued the game.

 _ **That bastard...! He almost caused a traffic accident, and he didn't even apologize for almost running someone over, either! It wasn't an uncommon thing in this town, but I was still angry. I shudder when I think that I could have been run over by that man.**_

 **"Aoba, are you all right?"**

 **"Yeah, just barely. But that was close."**

 **"It's a relief you're safe."**

 **"Yeah."**

 _ **I'm calmed by Ren's concerned words and my anger fades. Well, since I was safe, it should be fine... I change my mood and begin to walk home.**_

 ***screen shows Aoba's house***

 _ **When I enter the residential area and walk a bit further, I see my familiar house.**_

 **"I'm ho..."**

 ***screen shows Tae***

 **"Get a grip already! You stupid grandson!"**

 ***shows Tae's stats***

"See, showed Tae-san's stats as well." Mizuki commented.

"Will you shut up about the stat thing?" Aoba asked.

"I'm just wondering why it showed everybody except Yoshie-san's." Mizuki replied.

"It's alright, Mizuki-chan. I don't mind." Yoshie told him.

 _ **A thunder shakes my eardrums as soon as I open the door. My ears ring.**_

 **"So... loooud..."**

 **"Of course! I'm yelling so you can hear me clearly!"**

 _ **The real source of the thunder... Granny stands at the platform of the entrance, snorting and scowling at me. I've always wondered, where does she get that loud voice from? It's so mysterious, I can't help it.**_

Tae scoffed quielty to herself at the mysterious voice comment. If only Aoba knew how 'mysterious' his own voice was. Though, she was hoping she would never need to explain it to him. He would be safer not knowing, right?

 **"What now, why are you angry?"**

 **"Of course I'm angry! It's the key, the key!"**

 **"Key?"**

 **"When you go to work, take the entrance key and close the door by kicking! I've told you so many times!"**

 **"Aah... I see. Sorry."**

 _ **When I woke up today I was almost late to my part-time job, so I panicked and flew out of the house.**_

 **"Don't 'sorry' me! Really, why did I raise a child with such a bad memory?"**

 **"Jeez, I couldn't help it. I forgot."**

"You forget things quite often, Aoba." Ren stated.

"Thanks Ren, for pointing that out." Aoba responded, his tone sarcastic.

"You are welcome." Aoba sighed and patted the Allmate on the head. Ren was blunt, but he was hard to hate.

 **"Of course you overslept and dashed out again. Really, even though you turned twenty-three you're still so helpless. It's so sad I could cry."**

 **"But I said I'm sorry! Is there any human being around that hasn't been careless at some point?"**

 **"What, are you aiming for the world championship of carelessness? How many times has this happened already?"**

 **"...Six times?"**

 **"Honestly... A child like you..."**

 _ **Granny began trembling with anger. A blue vein is clearly visible on her forehead, this could be getting dangerous. Granny could faint if too much blood goes to her head, so this isn't a joke...**_

"You don't need to worry about me. I will be fine. I know how to take care of myself. Can you say the same?" Tae asked.

"I can't help but worry about you, Baa-chan. I want you to be around for a long time." Aoba told her.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You're so helpless, you wouldn't last a week without me."

"Baa-chan!"

Their banter got a few chuckles out of the other people in the room.

 **"I get it, I get it! I'll be more careful starting tomorrow, so don't shout anymore!"**

 **"...Hmph. How many times have I heard those words too? When you're like that, I can't just fall and die."**

 _ **Grandma lets out a rough snort and goes back towards the kitchen while making loud footsteps.**_

 **"Hey, come in already."**

 _ **... It seemed she's settleed down for a while, anyway. Relieved, I take off my shoes and enter the hallway. Shouting happens every day like this, but our relationship isn't that bad. It's rather good, actually.**_

 _ **Granny's shouting is a proof that she's fine. If her shouting disappeared one day, I'd feel lonely. I feel thankful to Granny for raising me by herself, and I also respect her. It would be embarassing to tell her, so I won't.**_

"You don't have to tell me that. I can already tell." Tae told him. Aoba blushed lightly and quickly moved forward with the game, wanting to keep the embarrassment away.

 ***scene changes to kitchen***

 _ **In the kitchen, Granny moves something that was just stir-fried in the frying pan to a plate. I wash my hands by the sink, pick out chopsticks from a shelf, and arrange them on the table.**_

 _ **My parents were also living together with us, but they were free spirits by nature and were never in the house. When the year passed and I'd think they'll never return, they would suddenly come back, and disappear again... That was the case ever since I was small, so living together with just Granny became everyday life for me. That's why I was unexpectedly calm even if my parents didn't come home. It's really thanks to Granny.**_

 _ **Even though I've made her worry about me over many things, I want to cherish the time I'm living with Granny. Even without any special luxuries, living like this is enough.**_

 **"Well then, let's eat."**

 _ **Somen noodles, tuna, stir-fried shiitake mushrooms and boiled greens, deep fried fish and miso soup are all lined up on the table. I took a seat with Granny and put both hands together.**_

"This talk of food is making me hungry." Mizuki stated. At his words, a couple of bowls of snacks appeared in the room. It wasn't quite a meal, but it would keep the hunger away for now and it would distract from the game.

 **"Thank you for the food."**

 **"Thank you for the food. Granny, this is delicious."**

 **"Is that so?"**

 _ **Being chased by the police made me hungry, so Granny's homemade cooking really hits the spot.**_

 ***veins flash across the screen***

 _ **While I scarf down my food, a sharp pain runs through my head. Aaa, it came... The usal pain...**_

 **"Ow, ow, ow..."**

 **"The usual? Don't forget to take your medicine after the meal."**

 **"Yeah."**

 _ **A long time ago, when I did supid stuff and got hospitalized, the headaches became very frequent. This was the second time today. I had many things inspected in the hospital, but they said the cause was unknown. Since then, I've taken a medicine Granny prescribed to me.**_

 _ **Granny has a medical licence, and she examines old people from the neighborhood and prescribes medicine. Being safer than an unskilled doctor who takes only lots of money, she has a bit of a reputation in the neighborhood. Other medicines are useless, but when I take Granny's medicine, the headaches always stop quickly. That's a sure reason to be able to call her skilled.**_

"Well I know who I'm going to if I ever get sick." Haga comment. Yoshie hummed in agreement and Tae acknowledged them with a slight nod of her head.

 **"Thanks for the meal."**

 _ **When I finish eating, I take the medicine, and after I clear off the tableware I go up to the second floor.**_

 ***scene changes to Aoba's room***

 _ **I enter my room and take Ren, who's in sleep mode, out of my bag and start him up. My head still hurts... I think about getting some fresh air and head out to the veranda.**_

 ***scene goes out to veranda***

 _ **I step out on the veranda and lean on the handrail. The slightly cool wind feels comfortable. When I let out a small breath and look up to the sky, only the shadows of the folded buildings reflect in my field of view. The scenery wasn't like this in the past. It was more beautiful. This island...**_

 ***screen shows Midorijima***

 _ **Midorijima floats in the remote sea southwest of the Japanese Island, Honshu. The selling points of the island are the blue sea, white sands, and rich green foliage... Or so they were. Those are all stories from the past.**_

 _ **Now on the east side, Platinum Jail occupies approximately a one-third of the island in a lordly manner. Because Platinum Jail and the Old Resident District are cute off with a huge wall, we can't see inside it from this side.**_

 ***screen shows Toue, his face shaded***

Tae's face hardened at the sight of Toue. Nobody noticed that Sei's face did as well. Nobody that is, except for Mizuki.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked him.

"... I'm fine..." Sei responded.

"You don't look fine."

"...It's just... Toue isn't a good person.. He's done so many awful things.."

"You speak like you've experienced this 'awful things'."

Sei's silence was more of an answer than he knew. Mizuki frowned to himself, reassuring himself that he was going to do whatever it took to help him.

 _ **I've seen the representative of Toue In., the company that built Platinum Jail, on TV and network several times. Apparently, when I was a kid, Toue Inc. required eviction of the inhabitants during the development of the island. However, they were promised luxurious houses and lots of money, so most of the inhabitants left the island depending on negotiations. But still, there were some stubborn inhabitants who wouldn't go away. We're like that, too. No matter how good the conditions they were offered, they couldn't abandon their hometown where they were born and raised; they kept ignoring the eviction demand again and again.**_

 _ **After a while, Toue's side said no more. They began to give up, and the reason was officially "because they didn't want coercion." But, in fact, they had abandoned the remaining inhabitants. If you don't want to accept negotations, so be it. Live or die, it's up to you. And then, Toue dealt his next hand.**_

That sort of helped Mizuki understand what Sei meant. Though he felt that it went much deeper than what Toue was doing. Part of this was already something he knew something about and he was extremely curious about what the other had meant. But he could tell that pushing for answers wasn't going to get him anywhere. In fact, it was likely to just make the boy turn away from him completely. Best to leave it alone for now.

 ***screen goes back to showing Midorjima***

 _ **Saying that it was maintenance for the island, the supply lines of water service, gas and goods were narrowed rapidly and the surviving inhabitants were driven away to the presend Old Resident District as a result. The once beautiful Midorjima was ruined.. No matter how anyone describes it, a country cannot allow such tyranny. The inhabitants who believed in that appealed to the mainland wanting them to do something. But, since nothing has changed, even now, it was useless to hope for better.**_

 _ **About three years ago, when going from the Old Resident District to the mainland, you had to obtain permission of the Administration Bureau, which belonged to Toue. In other words, the inhabitants of the Old Resident District can't step out of the island without the persmission of Toue. Such permission is never granted. Never. It's toue's way of saying that the people who rejected the evictions were wrong.**_

 ***screen goes back to Aoba's veranda***

 _ **As I was staring out into space, something makes a sound by my feet.**_

 **"Aoba. What will you do with the data that was downloaded earlier today?"**

 _ **...?**_

 **"...Downloaded?"**

 _ **I was leaning on the handrail, but Ren's words startle me and make me stand up straigh... That's right. I completely forgot. It was when the brats came into the shop today.. Before I knew it, a download complete screen had popped up. Was it...?**_

 **"Did the data contain a virus?"**

 **"I didn't detect anything."**

 **"Contents?"**

 **"It's a type of game where a plaer performs movements and information gathering by manipulating a character, fights with an enemy character, acquires and experience value and raises a level."**

"At least it wasn't anything bad." Koujaku comment.

"Yeah." Aoba agreed. He was so glad he hadn't unknowningly downloaded porn or something. That would have been awful

 **"Ah, a RPG, huh? Do I have to pay?"**

 **"You don't have to pay for it."**

 **"Huh... so I didn't accidentally pay for it because of those brats. Is it some kind of trial application?"**

 **"That is unknown."**

 **"Well, if there's nothing weird I could try it. Just to kill some time."**

 **"Shall I start it?"**

 **"Please do."**

 **"Understood."**

 ***screen changes to Aoba's room***

 _ **I take Ren in my arms, return to the room and sit on my bed.**_

 ***game starts***

Sei smiled slightly to himself. He was both glad and relieved that Aoba got the game. Though he was sure his brother wouldn't understand the message behind it. At least, not at first. But, he could be patient. Maybe this future game will help things along faster? Who knew?

 **"That's a really retro screen."**

 _ **Kio, Nao and Mio's generation have probably never seen anything like this. Even I haven't seen this type of an old game anywhere else but on video sites. After the message from the princess was over, a title logo appeared... It's so old, it's almost strangely refreshing. While the odd feeling rishes inside of me, I push "START".**_

 ***plays game***

 **"Huh? This'll continue? Are the parts delivered periodically?"**

 **"Looks like it."**

 **"I see. It's exactly the shortness of a game you can play when you have time to kill."**

 ***game closes***

 _ **I don't know if it was entertaining or not, but if a sequel comes out, I might play it again. As soon as I close the game screen, I yawn. I was so focused on the game I didn't realize how tired I was.**_

 **"I think it's time to get ready for bed."**

 _ **I close the window and curtain to the veranda and leave my room to go to the washroom.**_

 ***scene changes to Heibon***

 _ **The next day.**_

 _ **I go to work at Heibon as always and look after the shop from behind the counter.**_

 ***veins flash across screen***

 _ **Ow, ow, ow... I get my usual headache and massage the inner corners of my eyes with my index finger and thumb. My head's felt heavy ever since this morning. Even after I took my medicine after breakfast... Did I catch a cold?**_

"Aoba-kun, if you're sick, you just have to tell me. I won't force you to come into work." Haga told him, his tone conerned.

"It's alright, Haga-san. If it's just a cold, I can handle it." Aoba assured him.

".. If you're sure. But don't try to come in with anything worse than a cold. Wouldn't want both of us to catch it."

"I understand."

 **"Aoba-kun, I'd like to ask you to do a little delivery."**

 _ **Rattling noises come from the back of the store as well as Haga-sans voice.**_

 **"Ah, I'll help,...!"**

 ***veins flash***

 _ **My legs wobble when I try to stand up. I instantly push my hand onto the counter.**_

Aoba could see Haga looking at him with concern about him working in this condition, but he pushed forward with the game, deteremined to prove that he'd be fine.

 **"Aoba-kun, are you all right?"**

 **"Sorry, I feel a little dizzy."**

 **"Please sit down. I can do it. ...Huun! Ha! Hiiya! Phew."**

 **"..."**

 **"Hm? What's the matter, Aoba-kun?"**

 **"Ah, no, I just thought that was pretty amazing."**

 **"oh, it wasn't anything like that. Hahaha."**

 **"Cleaning, cleaning."** _ **Haga-san's Allmate Bonjin-kun comes up and whilrs around him.**_

 **"Ah, Bonjin-kun. Please take care of the back."**

 **"Back, back."**

 _ **Bonjin-kun returns to the back of the shop.**_

 **"Ah, yes. Could I ask you to deliver this item for me?** "

 _ **Haga-san takes a small paper bag out of pocket.**_

 **"The order came in the middle of the night from yesterday's visitor, it's specified as a special delivery."**

"Who orders things in the middle of the night?" Koujaku asked.

"People who need a delivery for the first thing in the morning." Haga responded as if it was the most normal thing in the world. And for him, it sometimes was.

 _ **When I see the slip of the paper bag, I notice that the address is in the East District like we are. It would be faster to deliver this directly.**_

 **"Since one of our contractors is coming soon, I cannot leave the shop. I'm sorry."**

 **"It's okay. I'll leave right away."**

 **"Thank you very much."**

 _ **Haga-san smiles and walks towards the stairs to the basement. My head still feels heavy... But it's my job. I'll have to try my best. I tap my forehead lightly, get myself together, and let out a short breath. I take my back close to me with Ren in it and leave the shop with the paper bag.**_

"Don't push yourself to hard." Haga told him. Tae was nodding in agreement at that.

"I know, I know.." Aoba told them.

 ***scene changes to Aoyagi Street***

 **"Hmm, was it faster to go this way?"**

 **"Yes."**

 _ **I walk through Aoyagi Street while having Ren navigate.**_

 ***scene changes to small road***

 _ **In this quiet road between buildings, a familiar tag art is drawn here and there on the walls.**_

 ***Shows Beni-Shigure's tag***

Koujaku couldn't help the fond smile that formed on his face when his tag was shown. One had absently came up to his shoulder and lightly petted Beni, who was perched there.

 _ **Beni-Shigure. Koujaku's team. Rib teams claim their territory by drawing their tag art. This area was Koujaku's team's territory. The size of Koujau's team is not very big. Rather, not very many are aware of Koujaku participating in Rib. He's popular among women, and therefore irritates many guys. He fights very often. But he has never lost.**_

 _ **Before even he himself was aware, many male fans followed him because fo his consecutive victories, and a team was formed just like that. Still, because he's taking care of them without being cruel, i think his character must also appeal to them. If you rely on him, you can't really complain.**_

 _ **Lots of team members gather because they adore the leader, and they come to resemble the leader somehow. Maybe because of that, here in Benishigure's territory there are lots of men wearing Japanese clothes without a hakama.**_

 _ **If you just glance at them they may look evil, but they're all good guys. They help old ladies with heavy luggage, or look for a mising child's parents. That's why beni-Shigure's populatiry is pretty high in the Old Resident District. That's also thanks to Koujaku... perhaps.**_

"Of course it's thanks to me." Koujaku stated.

"Or it's because you're doing things to help people." Mizuki responded.

"There is also that, yes." Koujaku admitted. But he liked to think he helped influence people to be better people.

 **"Yo, Aoba."**

 **"Hiya."**

 _ **I exhange a greeting with a member I'm aquainted with. Some other members are talking happily with a police officer. The Old Resident District's police aren't the most honest bunch of people, but depending on money or their mood they may mingle with the islanders. Some Ribsters use them to gain information or have things overlooked. Well, whatever suits them.**_

 _ **As I continue walking down the street, I hear an awfully high-spirited voice come from in front of me. A group of three with one man and two women walk towrds me, the women snuggling up the man and pushing and shoving while walking.**_

 **"oh, stop it, silly Koujaku-san!" girl 1**

 **"But I love that about you too!" girl 2**

 **"Ahahahahahah!" Koujaku**

 **"..." Aoba**

Aoba instantly got an annoyed look on his face. The last thing he wanted right now was to deal with Koujaku's fangirls.

Koujaku noticed the look on Aoba's face and wondered if that meant he was jealous that he was with those girls. He hoped that was it. That meant there was a chance that he liked him. He quickly pushed that thought away, not wanting to get to hopeful.

 _ **... I knew it. Of course, the guy walking sandwiched between the two women is koujaku. I didn't want to bump into him in this situation... I want to avoid them, but they keep coming closer and I have no choice.**_

 **"Oh, well if it isn't Aoba!" Koujaku**

 **"... Hi there." Aoba**

 _ **Koujaku's face draws into a cheerful smile.**_

 **"Aoba. Ren doing okay?" Beni**

 _ **Flying next to Koujaku is his Allmate, Beni. Ren's face peeps out of the bag.**_

 **"I'm here." Ren**

 **"Hoo, I see." Beni**

 **"Oh, Koujaku-san, is this your friend?" girl 1**

 _ **The woman glances at me with judging eyes.**_

 **"Yeah, a childhood friend." Koujaku**

 **"Oh, is that so? This boy?" girl 2**

 _ **... Well then. I'm sorry that the amazing Koujaku's childhood friend doesn't measure up the man himself.**_

"You're a better man then me." Koujaku said, his voice low. Only Aoba seemed to hear him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Koujaku looked at him, not having expected him to hear.

"...It's nothing..." he told him.

 _ **Even though we call ourselves childhood friends, it's not like we were always together when we were small.**_

 _ **Originally Koujaku was from the mainland, and came to this island with his mother. He was on the island for about three, four years, and then returned to the mainland with his mother again. During that time was a little vacant period, and about three years ago Koujaku suddenly came back alone.**_

 _ **I was surprised when he came back because he had become quite sturdy, but the faces and gestures he made when he laughed and the way he spoke hadn't changed at all. Then we started to hang out together again, and he often comes to visit my home to eat Granny's home made cooking.**_

"Tae-san's cooking is the best in Midorijima." Koujaku praised.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Tae responded. Though it was clear she was pleased with the comment.

"Not flattery. Just stating a fact." Koujaku told her.

"Hmph.."

 **"What now, what's the matter with you?" Koujaku**

 **"What do you mean?" Aoba**

 **"You don't look so hot." Koujaku**

 **"! ... It's nothing, really." Aoba**

 **"Really? That's good then." Koujaku**

 _ **I act calm, but deep down I'm actually surprised. I definitely still have a small headache. Do I really look that sick?**_

"Apparently, yes." Koujaku said. "Besides, I've always been good at reading you, even if you don't look sick."

Aoba hummed quietly to himself. That did seem to be true. Koujaku was able to read him better than anybody else, except for Tae and maybe Ren.

 **"Are you working now?" Koujaku**

 **"Yup. Unlike somebody else." Aoba**

 _ **When I say this sarcastically, the women standing on both sides react before Koujaku can.**_

 **"Well! It's not like Koujaku-san is playing around, you know!" girl 1**

 **"Yeah, even now he's only escorting us during his work." girl 2**

 **"..." Aoba**

 **"Oh don't say that. Although, it's true that when I'm with such cute ladies, I can't get any work done." Koujaku**

 **"Kyah!" girl 1**

 **"Oh, Koujaku-san!" girl 2**

 _ **Every single time, when he says things like that, wouldn't anyone else just be completely on edge...?**_

Aoba could feel his annoyance rise the longer he was spending with this fangirls. Why couldn't he just walk away.

Koujaku couldn't help the hope that the blue-haired man's annoyance meant that he was jealous. Though he did make a mental note to tone down the flirting with any girl whenever Aoba was around. He didn't want him to only see him as some playboy.

 **"It's shamful for a man to refuse a woman when she offers herself to him, right?" Beni**

 **"Exactly. Women are the treasures of the world. They're soft and tender, and will gently embrace a man. That's why cherishing a women is a man's duty. Am I right?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku puts his arms around the womens' shoulders.**_

 **"Kyaaaaah!" girl 1**

 **"I could die happily right now!" girl 2**

 _ **...**_

 **"... Well then, I'll be going." Aoba**

 **"Hm? Wait a minute. Hey!" girl 2**

 _ **As I stand completely disgusted and also completely ready to leave, one woman calls out to me.**_

 **"Here, I knew it. There's some dirt on you." girl 2**

 _ **The woman's skinny fingers reach out and lightly dust the collar of my jacket.**_

 **"...Ah, thanks." Aoba**

 **"As expected. I love thoughful women." Koujaku**

 **"Hee hee. ...Oh?" girl 2**

 _ **The woman who is happy about being praised by Koujaku suddenly looks at me as if she realizes something.**_

 **"...?" Aoba**

 **"Now that I look at you, you have long hair, don't you?" girl 2**

 **"...!" Aoba**

 **"Oh, that's true. I didn't notice." girl 1**

 **"Hee hee, that's kinda cute." girl 2**

 **"Looks like a woman's hair!" girl 1**

 _ **While laughing teasinly, one of the women reaches out her hand.**_

 ***Choices show on screen***

 **Shake her off**

 **Hesitate**

Aoba looked confused at the choices. "What's this for?" he asked.

"This is the first choice you make that affects the future." said the voice from nowhere.

"How does this affect the future?" he asked, still confused. But the voice was silent. He sighed and was about to click 'Shake her off' when Koujaku stopped him.

"You should never be rude to a lady. No matter how annoyed you get at them." he told him.

With a sigh, Aoba clicked the other choice.

 _ **...Stop it. My reaction is too late to avoid it.**_

 **"...Gh." Aoba**

 _ **No, don't touch me...! She reaches for me just before I reflexively swing my arm at her.**_

 **"How cruel. Even when I'm next to you, are you trying to seduce another man?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku's big hands catch the hand of the woman and gently presses it to his cheek. The woman blushes bright red in an instant.**_

 **"Are you already tired of me?" Koujaku**

 **No-no way, I couldn't possibly..." girl 2**

 **"That's right! That's rude in front of Koujaku-san! But I'm also jealous!" girl 1**

 **"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." girl 2**

 **"Don't apologize. I'm not angry or anything." Koujaku**

 _ **While smiling, Koujaku releases the woman's hand slowly. I'm secretly relieved and grateful to Koujaku. He just... saved me. Because he knows the thing I hate the most is having other people touch my hair. When he does things like this, I just can't bring myself to hate the guy.**_

Koujaku brightened up at that. Aoba didn't hate him! That was great news!

"Don't read to much into that." Aoba told him.

"Of course not." He replied. Though he still felt extremely happy at that.

 **"..." Aoba**

 _ **When Koujaku catches my gaze, he smiles.**_

 **"What, what's the matter? Admiring my manliness?" Koujaku**

 **"Shut up, you hippo." Aoba**

Koujaku sent Aoba a fond smile, which Aoba didn't see as he was focused on the game, at his comment. He never minded when the other would call him a hippo. It was a bit endearing, coming from the blue-haired man. From anybody else it would probably be annoying. But nothing about the other could annoy him.

 **"Hey! Why are you calling Koujaku-san a hippo!?" girl 1**

 _ **I convey thanks to Koujaku by flashing a smile as I criticize his joke. Koujaku returns only a silent wink, saying that he understands. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it actually gets to me a little...**_

 **"Well then, I'm going." Aoba**

 **"Right. Be careful." Koujaku**

 _ **I part with Koujaku while waving slightly, and begin to walk again.**_

 _ **The delivery destination was close when I turned left at the road and headed straight. As I turn a corner, I see a man crouching down by the roadside. He whispers something, but I don't understand the contents well. These days, you could see people doing this prett yoften. Sitting down on the ground and looking at the sky, muttering to themselves against the wall like that. People like this have always existed, but it feels like more of them have been showing up lately. Well, as long as you stay away from them.**_

 _ **I quickly pass by the whispering man.**_

 ***scene changes to an alley***

 _ **In the alley of this neighborhood, the road was smaller than it used to be. No sunshine came through, so it was very humid. It also had many restaurants; fragrant smells and smoke drifted around constantly.**_

 **"I'm feeling kinda hungry now."**

 **"If that feeling is neglected, a stomach ache by hyperacidity will occur in about one hour."**

 **"What for? Is there something wrong with my stomach?"**

 **"Yesterday's meal influenced it. There is also a slight influence of sleep deprivation as well."**

 **"Aah, Yoshie-san's..."**

 _ **If I remember correctly, it was after the time when I was on a delivery to the courier. That cake with a huge amount of whipped cream...**_

"I'm sorry, Aoba-chan." Yoshie apologized, feeling bad. She made a mental note to use less whipped cream in her cooking. She didn't want the poor boy to get sick because of her.

"... It's alright, Yoshie-san." Aoba assured her.

 **"...Hm?"**

 _ **I feel something strange and stop. It feels like someone was just staring at me... But I don't see anyone particularly suspicious... Must've been my imagination.**_

 **"! Aoba!"**

 **"Eh?...nh!?**

 ***screen shifts and fades to black***

"Well... This can't be good..." Aoba said.

"You said it." Koujaku agreed.

 **Here's the next chapter. I'm so sorry it's late. I was going to have it up Sunday, but I had unexpected plans and then I was working everyday this past week. And with two jobs, there isn't much free time for writing.**

 **But, we reached the first choice and we'll be meeting Noiz in the next chapter. Well, his Rhyme bunnyhead version of himself at least.**

 **I've decided that I'm going to write a one-shot story for every tenth reviewer.**

 **The person who wrote the tenth review is Pana-sule. If you are interested in your own one-shot, just PM what pairing you want for a DMMD one and I'll write if for you. It can be any pairing, not just the ones in this story.**

 **Whoever writes the twentith review will be the next person to get their chance at a one shot. So please review and let me know what you think of the story so far and what I can be doing to improve it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am finally back with a new chapter~ Yay~ I will admit, I'm a bit disappointed only a few people voted in the poll. But here are the results: Noiz: 7, Clear: 6, Mink: 4, Virus/Trip: 3, and BeniShigure: 2. This means Noiz, Clear, and Mink will be coming in. Though I'm sure things will be a bit violent with Mink there because of future events. I'll do my best. I'm also going to add BeniShigure, but only for Koujaku's part. He's going to need their support at later points. I am going to do my best with the characters, but I apologize now if they are a bit OOC.**

 **I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

"Almost forgot one thing." The mysterious voice that had brought them there spoke. "There are a few more people who need to be here to see the future."

There was a flash of light and more people appeared in the room. Aoba recognized the guys from BeniShigure, but none of the others.

"Feel free to introduce yourselves if you wish. But know that everyone will know eventually. Also note, that there will be no violence towards anybody in this room. If you try, you will be restrained." the voice added, another flash of light going through the room into the people, catching them up with what was happening.

The men from BeniShigure went to sit near Koujaku, him giving them a grin that they happily returned. A strange, white-haired man wearing a gas mask bounded over and took the empty set that Mizuki abandoned next to Aoba. The mask put everybody, sans the other two strangers, on edge.

The other two men scowled at the room and sat off away from everybody, on the same couch, but not speaking to each other.

"Hello.. And you are?" Aoba asked, turning to the man sitting next to him.

"Clear." Was his reply. He was sitting a bit to close to Aoba for his own comfort, and the blue haired man scooted closer to Koujaku.

"What's with the mask?" Aoba asked.

"...?" Clear didn't responed, tilting his head in a questioning mannor as he looked at the other man. Said man sighed to himself.

When it became clear the other two weren't going to introduce themselves, he went ahead with the game.

 _ **Suddenly, I feel a sensation similar to losing my footing on a set of stairs. Everything that reflected in my eyes stopped moving and drifted to my step with a great speed just after that.**_

 ***background shows flashing blue lights***

 **"Ow..."**

 _ **In the confusing situation, a sharp headache runs through my head and I scowl.**_

 ***screen shows a vortex type tunnel of lights***

 **"Wh...at...!?"**

 _ **My thoughts become muddy like turbid water, and my hands and feet turn numb. After feeling a strange sensation that torments my whole body, a view opens out before my eyes.**_

 **"...!?"**

 **"What is this place...?"**

 _ **It's... It's almost like I've been sucked into a game. The wire-frame floor emints a light and continues forever.**_

"Of course you're being sucked into a game. That's obviously a Rhyme field." Noiz stated, already knowing that it was probably himself pulling the guy into the field.

"How do you know that?" Aoba asked.

"Anybody who's ever played a Rhyme game, let alone even seen one, would know that."

"Well, I'm not involved in Rhyme."

"Whatever." Noiz responded. He was a bit confused by that, though it didn't show on his face. He was sure that this guy was the undefeated Sly Blue. And now he was going to see if his plan was going to work or not so he could make adjustments.

 ***voice says something about Rhyme***

 **"Rhyme... That kind of Rhyme!?"**

 _ **As I continue to look around, the space before me shines pale blue. The shape of a person begins to form, starting from their feet.**_

 ***shows Ren's online form***

Clara looked from the screen to Ren, already able to tell that it was him. He definitely looked capable of anything, even in that form. She started moving towards him again, not noticing that he was trying to hide between Aoba and Koujaku

Everybody except for Aoba thought that the man who appeared was a threat.

 _ **The sight of the person that forms in front of me almost causes me to fall backwards.**_

 **"Ren!?"**

That instantly made everybody relax, seeing as it wasn't a threat. Though there was still the problem of the Rhyme game he was being dragged into.

 **"Aoba, are you okay?"**

 **"What, what just happened? And why do you look like that?"**

 **"It seems that Allmates are reflected in their online mode here."**

 **"Isn't online mode used mainly in Rhyme? I've only seen you in that form on the setting screen. And the announcement earlier said something about Rhyme..."**

 **"Looks like it. Only, our present location is the same as before coming here."**

"I knew you were going to get dragged into Rhyme." Mizuki stated, remembering what Haga had said about foreshadowing.

"I don't want to do Rhyme.. I don't know how." Aoba stated, not noticing the look Noiz was giving him. Nobody really noticed, except the man sitting next to the blond. And Mink didn't really care enough to point it out.

 ***scene changes to bunny world***

 **"Aoba!"**

 **"Gah!"**

 _ **Ren pushes me away and I roll onto the floor while a fierce wind goes over my head.**_

 **"What was that...!?"**

 **"Aoba, this is a public Rhyme field. It seems we were forcibly dragged into Rhyme."**

 **"What!? Is that even..."**

 **"Aoba, something's coming."**

 _ **I follow Ren's line of sight and what I see shocks me. A rabbit's head... A person wearing a rabbit head stands there.**_

Noiz smirked to himself, seeing his online persona. Though he thought that Aoba was lying about not knowing anything about Rhyme, he was sure he would be able to beat him.

 **"Does this mean Rhyme started already...?"**

 **"... This time... This time, it is such an honor. So let's have a fun game shall we?"**

 ***shows Aoba and Ren in defence position***

 **"Aoba, it's coming."**

 **"Coming!? What should I..."**

 ***a cube drops and turns into a bunny***

Noiz his his bunny cubes from sight, not wanting to give himself away. No point in doing something that might ruin his chance to fight the guy, after all.

 **"DEATH set!"**

 **"Roger!"**

 ***bunnies attack***

 **"Eh!? Aaaah...! That was dangerous! Hey, wait a minute! I want nothing to do with Rhyme! Cut it out!"**

 **"Rhyme name, Sly Blue."**

Mizuki frowned at the name Sly Blue. He recognized that name. It was what Aoba went by when they had met, all those years ago. Only a faint memory sparked something to do with Rhyme connected to the name. He didn't say anthing though. He was more focused on what was happening on screen, as was everybody else.

 **"Wha?"**

 **"Seragaki Aoba."**

"How does he know my name?" Aoba asked.

"He must have done a lot of research before challenging you, which means..." Koujaku's voice trailed off.

"It means it's a trap." Clear spoke, finished the sentence that Koujaku started, though it didn't really need to be. Both Aoba and Koujaku glared at him slightly and he shrunk into himself, making them stop.

 **"Why do you know my name...? And what's this Sly thing?"**

 **"Fight."**

 **"I've never done Rhyme before!"**

 **"Fight."**

 **"But I said I've never done this before...!"**

 **"... Fight."**

"Persistent bastard." Koujaku muttered. When he found out who this was, he was going to kick the guy's ass. A quick glance at his team showed him that they'd be happy to help. They all liked Aoba and wouldn't let anything happen to him. A fond feeling rose in his chest at how much they accepted his friend. He hoped that meant that they would accept that he had feelings for said friend. Though a part of him was sure they already knew.

 ***bunnies attack***

 **"It's useless, he won't listen! Let's run! Ren, can't we do something!? Is there a way to get out of here or something?"**

 **"I tried, but the logout function itself seems to be disabled."**

 **"Seriously, what's up with this Rhyme!?"**

 ***bunnies attack***

 **"Uah! Ouuch...!"**

 **"Aoba, are you all right?"**

 **"... It hurts pretty badly."**

 **"Rhyme doesn't inflict damage on the real body. It is all an illusion in the brain. It is controlled so that it does not cause any further influence. But in this field, the control of the damage level seems to be excluded for some reason."**

 **"Doesn't that mean..."**

 **"When taking damage here, some influences may be exerted on the real body."**

"Oh Aoba-chan. I hope you'll be okay." Yoshie fretted.

"..." Aoba didn't know what to say to reassure her. He wasn't sure if he was going to be fine after this seeing as he didn't know what to do to defend himself.

 **"Then isn't this the worst case scenario...!?"**

 **"You can't get away."**

 _ **When I look up, a rabbit peeps at me from a block nearby.**_

 **"'LOSS' set!"**

 **"Roger!"**

 ***bunnies attack***

 _ **Crap...! Ren jumps in front of me when I miss the chance to escape.**_

 **"...Ngh."**

 **"Ren, are you okay!?"**

"Please be okay, Ren." Aoba stated, looking down and petting the dog beside him.

"I'll be alright, Aoba. If not, you can repair me, correct?" Ren responded.

"That's right." Aoba agreed, feeling a tiny bit better about it knowing he'd be able to fix Ren. Himself, not as easily.

 ***static flashes across screen***

 **"...!?"**

 ***screen flashes***

 **"Ngh... Ugn, Ah...!"**

 ***screen flashes***

 **"My, head..."**

Tae frowned to herself. That wasn't a good sign. She made a mental note to alter Aoba's medicine. She did not want a repeat of what happened last time her stupid grandson got involved in Rhyme. She worried the next time may kill him.

 ***screen flashes***

 **"...Ngh, ...Ugh!"**

 ***screen flashes***

 **"Ren, 'JUBILATION', set."**

 **"Aoba?"**

 **"Do it already."**

 **"... Understood."**

 **"..." bunnyhead**

 ***he scans Aoba to look at his stats***

 **"...Tch. You've gotta be kidding me. His Allmate is an old model without armor... Is he underestimating me?"**

Noiz narrowed his eyes at the screen. How dare he underestimate him. He was one of the best at Rhyme, and he was sure that their fight was going to give him the sensation he was looking for. That didn't mean he enjoyed being messed with.

 **"He almost doesn't have anything, he's completely screwing with us!" bunnycube**

 **"...Let's just finish this quickly."**

 ***screen shows Aoba, his face shaded***

 **"..."**

 **"...?" bunnyhead**

 ***Ren charges up his attack***

 **"...What?" bunnyhead**

 ***Ren attacks***

"Thought you didn't know anything about Rhyme." Noiz stated, eyes on Aoba.

"I don't." Aoba insisted.

"Then how do you explain what just happened."

"I don't know. It has to be a fluke."

"Or you're lying."

"I'm not."

"Hmmm..."

Aoba glared at the guy. He didn't like him. How dare he accuse him of being a liar!

 **"!"**

 **"P!"**

 **"Confirmed enemy attack! 3 Losses! Durability decreased by 12!"**

 **"... Damn that guy." bunnyhead**

 **"...! Just now.. What did I...? Ren, what was that...?"**

 **"You gave me instructions to attack."**

 **"Attack? How could I do that? I don't know any attacks... But a little while ago... it felt like my mouth was moving on its own..."**

Tae looked worried at that. Definitely needed to change Aoba's meds when she got the chance.

 **"Aoba, he's coming again. Instructions."**

 **"Even if you ask, I... But if I don't, we'd be in trouble, right...? Just have to do it like earlier..."**

 ***screen goes black and heartbeat is heard***

 **"...gh."**

 ***flash and heartbeat***

 **"...Nngh..."**

 ***flash and heartbeat***

 **"... Ren... Defense."**

 **"Understood."**

 **"'DEMOLISH' set!"**

 **"Roger!**

 ***bunnies attack***

 **"...Ngh." Ren**

 **"...!Hrgh, this is bad!" Aoba**

 ***Ren defends, durability drops to zero8**

 **"Main body of enemy's defense wall, 100% damage!"**

Noiz smirked to himself. Looks like he was going to win. That was good to know. That meant he could go ahead with his plan as he had planned.

 **"... I guess it was useless to expect more. Let's go." bunnyhead**

 **"Withdrawal! Withdrawal!... No it's not! Wait! Main body of enemy's defense wall, recovering at amazing speed! 40, 50... 70, 90!"**

That dropped the smirk off of Noiz's face. That shouldn't have been happening. He had already won. Looks like he would have to alter his plans slightly.

"That's not normal, is it?" Koujaku asked, not knowing to much about Rhyme.

"I don't think so." Aoba said, curious about what was going on.

 **"...What's going on?"**

 ***Aoba flashes on screen***

 **"...! What happened...?"**

 ***static flashes***

 **"Alert! Alert! Danger! Danger!"**

 **"!?"**

 **"...Destruction and death."**

 ***screen shows black***

"At least that's over now." Mizuki said.

"But it didn't show what happened at the end." Sei pointed out to him.

"I'm sure everything is fine... It has to be fine.. Right?" he asked, looking at Sei.

Sei smiled, hoping to reassure him, though he wasn't to sure himself since Usui hadn't been there. Otherwise he'd know.

 **"..Ngh."**

 _ **...Ugh. My head hurts... What... What happaned...?**_

 **"...Ah, ow ow..."**

 _ **It seems... I'd somehow fallen on the ground.**_

 ***screen shows outside of Heibon***

"See, fine." Mizuki said, lightly patting Sei on the shoulder.

"Yes, I see." he told him, smiling happier now that his brother was alright.

 _ **I endure the pain in my whole body, gather my strenght in both arms, and prop myself up. I stagger and almost fall again, but I manage to somehow stay standing.**_

 **"It hurts... but... how did it turn out..."**

 _ **I press my forehead with one hand and try to arrange my confused memories. It must have...**_

 ***screen flashes and shows bunnyhead***

 _ **I was suddenly dragged into Rhyme during a delivery, and some weird rabbit head...**_

 ***screen flashes back to Heibon***

 **"... I'm in front of the shop?"**

 _ **I've seen it every day so I can't be wrong. I... am standing in front of Heibon. But why? I should have gone out for a delivery... When I look around, I see a lump of blue fur lying on the ground.**_

 **"Ren!"**

 ***screen shows Ren in Aoba's arms, being held like a baby***

 _ **I run up to him immediately and embrace him. There's no reaction. I push Ren's head lightly and try calling him.**_

 **"Ren, hey!"**

 **"...Aoba."**

 _ **After a short pause, Ren opens his eyes. I feel relieved from the bottom of my heart after seeing him safe.**_

 **"Are you okay?"**

 **"There are no large problems in particular."**

 **"Really? You're not broken anywhere?"**

 **"Some of the data is damaged."**

Aoba pulled Ren into his arms at that, though this hadn't happened yet. It reassured him to have him close to him.

"I am alright, Aoba." Ren assured him, licking his chin.

 **"Isn't that enough of a problem?"**

 _ **Ren should also have received damage in Rhyme from that rabbit headed guy.**_

 ***screen shows Heibon again***

 **"I'll examine you once we get home, okay?"**

 **"To be on the safe side, please do."**

 **"Yeah. It even feels like some of the data in my brain's damaged... I remember fighting with that rabbit head, but how did it turn out?"**

 **"My data from then on is also damaged."**

 **"I see... Wait a minute, I'll try to remember."**

 ***screen goes dark***

 _ **I endure the headache, close my eyes, and search my memory. But the more I try to remember, the more it feels like the memories go farther away.**_

 ***screen goes back to Heibon***

 **"...It's useless. I can't remember anything..."**

 **"There's nothing we can do about it."**

 **"Really? Why?"**

 **"If the average man's storage capacity is assumed to be one-hundred, Aoba's capacity would be..."**

"Hey!" Aoba exclaimed, insulted by what Ren was insinuating.

"My apologizies. But you did ask." Ren responded, knowing that was how he was going to react to that.

Aoba pouted at him, but continued the game.

 **"Are we really having this conversation right now? ... Ah..."**

 **"Aoba?"**

 **"Hu... huh? I'm, getting kinda dizzy... Ren, you... since when did you have eight legs..."**

 ***Aoba collapses***

Everybody looked worried at that. Except for the two stoick strangers on the other side of the room. Both of their faces remained blank.

 **"Aoba!"**

 **"..."**

 _ **What is this...? Everything in front of me is spinning... Where's the ground...? What...**_

 **"Wait here."**

 _ **Ren runs off somewhere. I watch him as he leaves. It looks like there are three of him, and I unconsciously laugh. Haha, that's strange... Ren has three heads... My consciousness broke off there.**_

 _ **After I passed out in front of the shop... Ren called Haga-san, and he let me rest in the shop for a while. Even though I lost the bag I was supposed to deliver, Haga-san said with his usual smile that I could go home for today. I decided to depend on Haga-sans kindesss and obediently went home.**_

"You didn't have to do that, Haga-san." Aoba told him, feeling bad about going home early. He was sure he'd be fine as long as he laid down for a few minutes.

"Of course I did. Your health is more important." Haga told him.

Aoba opened his mouth to argue, but closed it with the look of concern Haga was giving him. How could he argue against him like that?

 ***scene moves to Aoba's home***

 _ **It seems like Granny isn't home yet, and the house is dark. I turn on the lights to the dark entrance hall, enter the corridor, and walk into the kitchen.**_

 _ **I take a pill for my headache from the shelf and drink more water than usual. The pills hould technically be taken after a meal, but my top priority is to calm down the headache.**_

"Medicine is more effective if there is something in your stomach." Tae told him, her tone slightly scolding. He should at least eat some small snack if taking his pills.

"I understand, Granny.. I'll try to remember that." Aoba told her.

"I'll be sure to to remind him." Ren added.

 _ **It might be because I'm relieved to be home, but I suddenly feel so tired that it becomes difficult to walk. I want to fall asleep on the spot, but I make my way up to my room on the second floor first.**_

 ***scene changes to Aoba's room***

 _ **I take Ren out of the bag and put him on the bed. I remove my jacket and lay down next to him. Whew... I lost the bag I was supposed to deliver, and after that I even left work early... Haga-san's smile and consideration were great, and a sense of guilt flocks to me just for remembering it.**_

"Don't feel bad, Aoba-kun. I can handle the shop on my own for a day or two if needed." Haga told him. Aoba nodded in agreement, though he still felt bad.

 **"What am I doing...?"**

 _ **This is all because of that weird rabbit head. And... Rhyme. Is it really worth hyping up and becoming addicted to it? I slowly sit up while remembering the game-like space I was sent to, and I only feel worse. I guess the medicine hasn't kicked in yet because the headache isn't going away. I'll try something else.**_

 ***screen shows Aoba lying curled up on his bed***

Koujaku stared, transfixed by the image on the screen. Aoba was so beautiful he couldn't stand it. If he ever recieve any sort of sign that his friend returned his feelings, he knew he had to take the chance.

He could hear his teammates next to him teasing him from next to him. At least that meant they wouldn't mind if he was dating Aoba. That was a good sign. And luckily it appeared Aoba didn't hear them. He shot them a look to make them shut up. They stopped, for the most part. Well, they lowered their voices to talk amongest themselves to continue teasing their leader about this. He left them be, so long as Aoba didn't hear it. The other people near them could, but luckily the blue-haired man didn't.

 _ **I take the headphones I threw together with my jacket and put them on. I select my favorite music from my Coil and close my eyes, leaving my body to the flowing music.**_

 _ **Whenever I'm restless or feeling unwell for whatever reason, this method always helps me get relaxed again. I become immersed in the world of me and music.**_

"Do you like music?" Clear asked suddenly, turning to look at Aoba. Well, Aoba assumed he was looking at him. The face of the gas mask was turned in his direction.

"Yeah.. Do you?" he asked in return.

Clear nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! It's the best!" He exclaimed. Aoba couldn't help but smile slightly at his enthusiasm. Sure, the guy was strange with the mask. But he didn't seem like a bad guy. He wasn't so sure about the other two.

 **"...Mn."**

 _ **The rhythm and tempo of the music, my own breathing and heartbeat. They tune together little by little, melting and eventually becoming one surging wave.**_

 **"Ha, ..."**

 _ **The whirlpool of melody wraps around my body and strokes it softly. The sound permeates my skin, milges with my blood, and flows throughout me.**_

 ***screen zooms in cose to Aoba's face***

Koujaku found himself blushing lightly. Which led to another round of teasing from his teammates. He glared at them again, not wanting Aoba to hear. Said man was glancing his way, visibly confused by his blushing. But luckily, he didn't ask. Though he was sure he'd ask later if they got the chance to talk alone.

 **"...Ah..."**

 _ **Lights of all colors dance in my head like a soft film. It feels pleasant and I slowly calm down. It was like telling myself that only I was allowed here, that this is a pplace only for me, and I felt peaceful.**_

 **"Ahhh..."**

 ***scene changes to show Aoba's bed, no longer focused on him***

 _ **The discord of headache and the noise in my body becomes distant, and only the quiet sound of my own breathing leaves me. Like being pushed into a wave that spread to all parts of my body, a faint breath escaped from my lips time and again. So comfrotable...**_

 _ **I feel like I'm sinking more deeply that usual today. Pain and such had all gone of somewhere. If I fall asleep like this, all that's left is to wait for a calm waking to com. If I fall asleep like this...**_

 ***a faint noise is heard and the screen moves back to focus on Aoba's face, his eyes open***

 **"...?"**

 _ **A sound...? I open my eyes slightly, but with my consciousness blurry, I can't tell what it is for sure... Well, whatever.**_

 ***screen fades to black***

 _ **I give up on thinking straight and close my eyes again.**_

 ***screen shows a blurry beach***

 _ **This place... I've seen it before. I know it well. I sit on a sandy beach and talk with a certain person. I treasure what he says as if the words themselves shine.**_

 ***screens shows blurry image of a man***

"Who is that?" Koujaku asked.

"... I don't know.. He seems familiar, but I can't place him." Aoba responded. It didn't help that the image was a bit fuzzy. Maybe it would be easier to know who he was if it was a clear image.

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 _ **... What did he say again? I can't remember. What he said was important...**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **... Ouch. Something hurts. It feels like something sharp is poking me...**_

 **"Wake up, sleepyhead! Hey, come on!"**

"Finally! I come in!" Beni exclaimed, please by that. Koujaku reached up and gently rubbed the bird's head. Beni preened under the attention.

 **"Tch, ouch..."**

 **"I'm telling you to wake up! I'll hit you, moron!"**

 **"...Mmh, that hurts!"**

 ***screen shows Aoba's room***

 _ **I jump up in defiance of my persistent attacker, and the thing poking my face falls down. I reflexively grab it with both hands.**_

 ***screen shows Beni***

 **"Oh, Beni."**

 **"Aagh, let go of me! How can you treat a guest this way!?"**

 _ **Beni flaps his wings in my hand and gives me a sharp glare.**_

 **"Does that mean Koujaku's here?"**

"Of course that means I'm there too. Why would Beni be there without me?" Koujaku asked, looking at Aoba.

"Shut up. I just woke up." Aoba said in his defence. Koujaku smiled at him and he quickly looked away.

 **"Isn't that obvious!? Let me go!"**

 _ **I stand up from the bed with the shouting Beni in my hand. Huh? Where's Ren?" I look for him and see him lying in the corner of the bed in sleep mode. Oh yeah, he said some data was damaged. I have to do some maintenance on him later. But I want to eat something first.**_

 _ **I feel a lot better because I slept for a while. The headache's gone now, too. There's some pain in my joints but it's not so bad that I can't walk.**_

 _ **When I step out of the room, a delicious smell drifts in from downstairs. Granny's back. She's started cooking a meal. When I look at my Coil, I see it's already time for dinner.**_

 **"Is it already this late?"**

 **"You almost didn't wake up, and I got angry. Do you finally get it now?"**

 ***scene changes to the kitchen***

 _ **Ignoring Beni's complaints, I head down the tairs and look at the kitchen.**_

 ***screen shows Koujaku***

"See." Koujaku said, pointing out the fact that he was indeed there.

"Shut up, you stupid hippo." Aoba muttered. Koujaku laughed lightly at that.

 _ **Koujaku sits at the dining table, and the room is filled with an appetizing smell. Granny is standing in the kitchen nearby. When Koujaku sees me, he grins.**_

 **"Yo, morning there."**

 **"...Morning."**

 **"Looking super cool as usual, I see."**

 **"...No thanks to you."**

 ***screen goes back to showing the kitchen***

 _ **A yawn leaks out against my will.**_

 **"Here."**

 _ **I shoot Beni, who I was still holding from earlier, at Koujaku. Koujaku catches whim skillfully.**_

 **"I even went to the trouble of waking you up and you still treat me badly! Dn't look down on me, Aoba!"**

 **"Direct your complaints at your master. Doesn't he make you run his errands?"**

 **"Can't help it. You're a real grump when you've just woken up."**

 **"That's not true."**

 **"Aoba, if you're up, help a little! The meal's ready, so get chopsticks and tea!"**

Tae mutters something about lazy grandsons, just loud enough for Aoba to hear. Aoba gave her a sheepish grin and apologized.

 **"Okay, okay."**

 _ **Granny's yelling forces me to hurry to the shelf. Koujaku listens in and laughs cheerfully.**_

 **"No matter how many times I visit, you never chance, Tae-san. I feel relieved just hearing your energetic voice."**

 **"I dare you to be yelled at every day. It's pretty hard."**

 **"Ahahahaha."**

 _ **When I shrug my shoulders while putting the chopsticks on the table, Koujaku laughs even more happily. I pour tea into three teacups as granny arranges the plates containing the freshly-made dishes on the table. All the preparations for dinner are complete, and I set at the table with everyone.**_

 **"Thank you for the food."**

 _ **Today's dinner is fish boiled with salt, stir fried konbu, and pork. I try the pork and find myself instantly impressed. Delicious. A meal after you've slept away your exhasution is delicious. Really delicious. As I realize this, Koujaku watches Granny with a smile while chewing.**_

 **"It's really good. It's no surprise though, seeing as Tae-san's cooking is absolutely the best."**

"Hmph. Flattery will get you nowhere." Tae stated.

"Just stating a fact." Koujaku told her. Aoba nodded in agreement.

"It's true, Granny."

"Hmph."

 **"Hmph. How can you say that when you decided to come over out of the blue?"**

 **"Didn't I tell Aoba I was coming?"**

 _ **The blame is suddenly directed towards me, and Koujaku stares at me.**_

 **"Didn't you say you'd come 'in the near future'?" aoba**

 **"And you kept sleeping like a log. You wouldn't get up no matter how many times you were called." tae**

 **"That was... well, I guess that's true..." aoba**

 **"But I'm really thankful that you made a proper meal like this." koujaku**

 **"Don't misunderstand. There was some food that was going to expire soon, so this was a good chance to use them now." tae**

 **''That's why I love you, Tae-san." koujaku**

 **"Just shut up." tae**

 _ **Granny snorts roughly and stuffs her mouth with konbu. Koujaku watches her with a smile. For some reason, Granny seems to really like Koujaku. Koujaku came to this island with his mother but it was actually more common for him to be alone. That's why he often hangs out with me, and comes over to my house. Of course, he eats lots of Granny's home made cooking, too. If I know Granny, she's definitely thnking that she has a second grandchild now.**_

Koujaku grinned at Tae. He was glad that see saw him as family. He hoped that meant she would support him and Aoba together. But it could also mean she wouldn't accept it if she already saw him as family when they were just friends. This train of thought was starting to confuse him, so he pushed it away. No point in thinking things that would make him depressed, right?

Tae scowled at Koujaku, as if to send the opposite message. But she really did like the guy. He was good for Aoba.

 **"Are you staying for the night?"**

 _ **Granny asks this while raising her eyebrows. Koujaku stops his hand that was stuffing food into his mouth and nods without hesitation.**_

 **"That's what I had in mind." koujaku**

 **"Really, would it kill you to have some shame?" tae**

 **"Well, it's the same as always. But I have to work, so even if you're sleeping I'll slap you awake." aoba**

 **"But isn't it the opposite? I've always woken you up gently even though you won't almost wake up at all." koujaku**

 **"Ain't that right?" beni**

 **"... You guys..." aoba**

 _ **After showing an irritatingly nice smile, Koujaku begins to eat his meal from the bowl again. Then we exchanged silly conversations between the three of us, and, through our lovely dinner, time passed.**_

 ***sound of shower shutting off***

Koujaku blushed again at the thought of Aoba in the shower. He kept his head turned away from the other, not wanting him to see what a pervet he apparently was.

Aoba looked at him questionally when he turned away from him, but couldn't catch his eye. He made a mental note to talk to him about this later. If he remembered to, that is.

 **"...Whew."**

 _ **I take a shower after the meal and cover my half-wet hair with the towel on my shoulders and proceed to the living room.**_

 ***scene shows living room***

 _ **I peep inside to see Granny watching TV while drinking tea. Koujaku isn't there.**_

 **"Where's Koujaku?"**

 **"He went upstairs. He's probably in your room."**

 **"I see... Ah, by the way, Granny."**

 **"What?"**

 **"Whenever I have a headache I take my medicine like normal, but lately it's not as effective as it used to be."**

Tae was happy Aoba was doing what he was supposed to and coming to her about the medicine not working. At least he was showing some responisibility for his health.

 **"...Hmmm."**

 _ **Granny, who was watching TV the whole time, turns towards me. Granny gold me to report anything regarding the headaches no matter what it is.**_

 **"It hasn't worked at all?"**

 **"Umm, not like that, but feels like it's not as effective as before."**

 **"Is that so? Then let's try changing the formula a bit."**

 **"I'm counting on you."**

 _ **When I bow deeply, Granny snorts and returns to the TV. Well then... Apparently Koujaku is in my room. I leave the living room and go upstairs. Multiple places in my body throb in pain even when lifting only my foot.**_

 **"Ow, ow..."**

 _ **Though there are no visible cuts or bruises, the very core of my body possess a dull ache. Is it because I took damage in Rhyme...?**_

Noiz took note of how Aoba was handling the pain after their fight. It made him wonder about what he would feel after, if anything, and how long the sensation would last. He hoped he'd feel at least something if only for a moment.

 **"Even though the fighting happened in my head, it still hurts pretty badly..."**

 _ **When I fought with that weird rabbit head, Ren said that there was control over the damage level. Is that even possible? I endure the pain, make my way up the stairs, and go into my room.**_

 ***scene changes to Aoba's room***

 _ **...Huh? Koujaku's not here. Neither is Ren. I thought that was the case at first, but then I found the door leading to the veranda slightly open.**_

 ***scene shows Koujaku standing at the balcony, holding Ren***

 _ **When I look out athe veranda, I see Koujaku leaning on the handrail. He looks down at the nightlife with a calm expression. He holds a thin cigarette between his fingers while white smoke escapes from his slightly narrowed lips. Koujaku would never smoke in my room... For some reason, he would only ever do it on the veranda. He doesn't smoke in front of girls or during work, or even when he's at the bar, he only smokes here.**_

"Why's that, boss?" one of the BeniShigure members, Kou, asked.

Koujaku shrugged. He just felt more comfortable around Aoba and it was easier to let his guard down. Anywhere else, everybody expected him to be a certain way. It was exhausting.

 _ **I don't know the reason, but maybe he feels like he can actually relax here. Koujaku would never show such a dim expression outside. He's always confidently smiling. That's how he presents himself. He seems like he's usually having fun with women, but I wonder if that itself is unexpectedly exhausting.**_

"It is." Koujaku agreed. Then realized he had said that out loud and quickly shut his mouth. He had meant to keep that to himself.

"Then why do it?" Aoba asked.

"..." Koujaku didn't answer. He didn't know what to say.

 _ **Koujaku's hand carries the cigarette to his lips. In the dark, his fingers look extremely long and beautiful. He does hair ever days, so he should be skillful with his fingers. The look bony and masculine; it's strange that I find them beautiful.**_

 _ **Koujaku holds Ren, how has Beni on his head. Both of them seem to be in sleep mode. I'm afraid they'll fall of the handrail, but I trust Koujaku to hold on to them.**_

 _ **I pick up the ashtray in m room and open the door to the veranda.**_

 **"...Hm?"**

 _ **Koujaku's absent-minded eyes catch me and a loose smile appears on his mouth.**_

 **"Yo. Finished with the bath?"**

 **"I thought you were in the living room."**

 **"Aah. Felt like having a little of this."**

 _ **Koujaku lightly raises the hand holding a cigarette.**_

 **"You really like it here, don't you?"**

 **"Really? Maybe."**

 **"Even though you can't see anything."**

 **"I guess... but does it really matter if you can see anything or not?"**

 _'What matters is that I get to see you.'_ Koujaku thought. He made sure he didn't accidently say that out loud. That would be so embarrassing and he wouldn't be able to look at Aoba for a long time.

 **"? Does it? I don't really get you sometimes."**

 _ **Koujaku exhales and laughs unexpectedly.**_

 **"Here."**

 _ **I hold out the ashtray and he puts the shortened cigarette into it. I lovwer it next to my feet and lean on the handrail next to him.**_

 **"Aaah."**

 _ **As soon as Koujaku sees me next to him, he frowns.**_

 **"Aoba, not again..."**

 **"Hm?"**

 **"Your hair. I keep saying you have to dry it a little better."**

"I can take care of my hair just fine." Aoba told him, his tone slightly annoyed at Koujaku bringing that up again.

"I'm just trying to look out for you." Koujaku told him.

 _ **Koujaku reaches out towards me. Is he going to touch my hair...? I flinch back reflectively But instead of catching my hair... He grabs my nose.**_

A few chuckles spread from BeniShigure at that. They didn't mind when Aoba glared at them. But stopped when Koujaku did.

 **"Guah!"**

 **"Really, with the line of work I'm in, I can't help but care about your hair."**

 **"Stop it!"**

 _ **When I shake my head to escape, Koujaku smiles happily.**_

 **"Your hair's grown a lot. Are you still cutting it on your own every once in a while?"**

 **"A little, yeah. I don't want to have to see a professional. Doin git myself is enough."**

 **"Well, it's not that bad? Everything seems to be in the right place."**

 **"Really? Kyaa, Koujaku-san complimented me, I'm so totally happy."**

"There is no need for the sarcasm, Aoba." Koujaku stated. Not that he minded. He didn't mind anything Aoba did.

"Of course there is." Aoba agrued. Especially for those situations.

"If you say so."

 **"Why the sarcastic tone?"**

 **"An imitation of your fans."**

 **"Oh, you."**

 _ **Koujaku chuckles.**_

 _ **I won't let anyone snip my hair for a reason. Ever since I was born, there's been a sense of feeling in my hair.**_

"That sounds awful." Clear stated, reaching up to touch the ends of his own hair for a moment.

"It is." Aoba said, unconsciously touching his own hair.

 _ **That's why cutting my hair with scissors hurts, so I don't do it. Although below the shoulder, the feeling becomes blunt so I can snip there somehow. Ever since I was a kid, I was teased that I looked like a girl because of it. Since I could also feel when it was being touched, they would pull on my hair as a joke... It was hell.**_

There were a few glares at the screen at that. How could children be so cruel?

 _ **They bullied me because they thought it was funny. But when they did, Koujaku always saved me. Though, it seems Koujaku thought I was a girl in the beginning. When he found out I was a boy, he was considerably surprised. But Koujaku's attitude didn't change after that. And I was pretty happy about it.**_

"I will always look after you, Aoba." Koujaku told him, his tone serious.

"You don't have to do that. I am capable of looking after myself." Aoba replied, ignoring the scoff that came from Tae.

"I'm sure you are. But, that's what friends are for." Koujaku told him.

Aoba blushed lightly at that and turned back to the screen.

 **"You have such beautiful hair, so you have to take good care of it."**

 **"... I've always thought so, but you say that so often and so easily. That hasn't changed about you from the old days at all."**

 **"I only say it because I mean it. And you used to be so bashfully happy when I complimented you..."**

Koujaku smiled to himself, remembering how adorable Aoba was as a child. Not that he wasn't still adorable. Because he was. Even more so now. And beautiful. And sexy. And he had to cut of his thoughts there.

 _ **Koujaku makes an overly dramatic glance off into the distance, and I throw him another glare.**_

 **"That's when I was a kid. I don't remember."**

 _ **I wipe my wet hair and a blunt pain runs all the way down to my shoulders.**_

 **"Ow..."**

 _ **This pain... Is it still from what happened in Rhyme...?**_

 **"What's the matter?"**

 **"No, it's nothing."**

"Don't try to lie to me." Koujaku told him. He had always been able to see through Aoba's lies. At least, for the most part. And the other knew it.

"... I know..." Aoba responded. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

 **"It doesn't look like nothing. Come to think of it, you looked pretty tired a while ago, too."**

 **"Ah..."**

 **"What is it? No need to go putting up a front."**

 **"It's not like that."**

 _ **What should I do? Should I tell Koujaku about Rhyme? A little bit of hesitation pops up. In these kinds of situations, Koujaku has a strangely sharp sense of intuition. He's already watching me with doubtful eyes. Even if I try to lie now, he won't buy it...**_

 **"Well, about today. I had a strange experience. Well, how should I say this? LIke I was pulled into Rhyme..."**

 **"Pulled into Rhyme?"**

 **"It happened suddenly. I was on a delivery, and before I knew it I was standing on a Rhyme field."**

 **"You're not talking about a dream, right?"**

 **"No."**

 **"So in other words... Wait, is that even possible?"**

 **"I didn't really get it either, but it was close to your territor. That narrow alley tehre."**

 **"I haven't heard anything like that before..."**

 **"There were some other strange things too. Usui wasn't there either."**

 **"That's strange. It's responsible for holding Rhyme games, right? That strange device appears with it and all."**

 **"Isn't it? And..."**

 _ **I tell Koujaku about the rabbit head... I also include the fact that he knew my name. After earnestly listening to my story, Koujaku groans.**_

"This whole thing is very concerning." Koujaku stated.

"Yeah.. When I find out who did it, they're going to get it." Mizuki stated, cracking his knuckles. Koujaku gave him a smile, glad they were on the same page.

Noiz wasn't to worried about them beating him up. It wasn't like they were going to find out it was him. And it wouldn't hurt him anyway. So no need to be concerned.

 **"What he did to you, was it... Wasn't it like a Drive-By?"**

 **"A Drive-By?"**

 **"I've only heard of this from my teammates, and I don't know the details but... there seem to be guys who area ble to set up a Rhyme game without Usui. Because their Rhyme games don't have rules or limits, there seem to be cases where the pulled-in opponents are left half dead."**

 **"Then, was my opponent one of those Drive-Byers too?"**

 **"There's the possiblity. However... It makes me sick."**

 **"What does?"**

 **"I'm relieved that you managed to escape this time, but what happened if you get pulled in again? Wouldn't that be extremely dangerous?"**

 **"But I haven't even done Rhyme so why... Why did he mistake me for someone else?"**

 **"There's also the possiblity that he didn't care who he challenged. Or it might've been someone who held a huge grudge against you."**

 **"No way. I'm not you."**

 **"How cruel. But he knew your name, right?"**

 **"Well... that's right."**

 **"..."**

 **"Koujaku?"**

 _ **Koujaku keeps silent with a troubled face. After a while, I hear a small sigh.**_

 **"... Sorry. I think i"ll just go home for today. I remembered I had to do something."**

"Do what?" Aoba asked.

"I dont know... Maybe look into what happened?" Koujaku suggested, not knowing why he was leaving. He wanted to stay the night with Aoba. He never left early before, so that was the only thing that made sense.

 **"Oh? Okay, I see."**

 _ **Koujaku pushes off from the handrail and stands in front of me.**_

 **"Are you really okay?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"I'll believe you, then. If something happens, tell me right away."**

"Of course I will." Aoba told him.

"Good." Koujaku stated. That would better his chances of protecting Aoba if he knew when something was happening.

 **"I know."**

 **"Good."**

 _ **Koujaku smiles at our agreement and gently hands Ren over to me. He then picks up Beni, who is resting on Ren's head, and puts him in his pocket.**_

 **"See ya. Good night."**

 **"Yeah."**

 _ **Koujaku raises his hand in farewell and leaves the room.**_

 **And done. Longest chapter yet. I know it was mostly Koujaku and Aoba speaking. But that's what a large part of this chapter was. The other part was Noiz. I tried to get everybody to speak at least once and I know Mink didn't say anything. But I couldn't think of a place where he would. He's just observing for now. Please let me know if I got Noiz and Clear in character.**

 **Please review and let me know what you guys think. I'll try to get the chapters out on a more regular basis, but I'm not making any promises. I will try though.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter~ Thank you to all who reviewed~ Please read AN at bottom**

 **I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

-line break-

 _ **I shut the door leading to the veranda and return to the room, lower Ren to the bed and lay down next to him.**_

 **"Rhyme... huh."**

 _ **Did I encounter a Drive-Byer after all? When it happened, Ren appeared in his online mode form. He also fought according to my instructions.**_

"That is what happens in Rhyme." Noiz commented. He couldn't believe that this ignorant guy was the undefeated Sly Blue. Though the outcome of their fight wasn't show, he was sure he had won. Especially if this was how the guy was.

"Nobody asked you, brat." Aoba snapped back, giving the guy a glare. Who did he think he was anyway!? Who was he anyway, is the more important question. He knew he'd eventually find out, since the guy was here. But that didn't give the guy an excuse not to introduce himself like the guy sitting next to him; who was extremely intimidating. Best to ignore him for now.

Noiz glared back at Aoba, unbothered by his attitude. Aoba continued to glare for a moment before going back to the game.

 **"...Something, set... What was it?"**

 _ **During the Rhyme, my mouth moved on its own like somebody had taken over my body. What was that? But that feeling... I feel like I know it. I don't know why I think so but, it's like... It resembled a feeling that I have when I invite customers to the store... That feeling when I know what to say to make the other do what I want. Have Drive-Byers always appeared so frequently? Let's do a little research. Although I don't want to get involved too deeply...**_

 ***a beep is heard***

 _ **... A message.**_

 ***Coil screen appears, showing messages***

 **"That latest Allmate models, huh?"**

 _ **It was a direct message. New Allmates appear one after another.**_

Aoba lightly scratched Ren between the ears from where the dog was laying on his lap. He knew, despite the new Allmates coming out, he would never ever replace Ren. It would be like asking him to give up one of his limbs.

Ren wagged his tail happily at the attention.

 ***screen closes***

 _ **I briefly look over the contents then close the Coil screen. I've always been so attached to things that I never want to give them up, but not everyone else is like that... That's right. I have to check Ren's condition. I'm worried about the damage he took in Rhyme. I get up and reseat myself on the bed, put the blue lump on my knees, and start him up.**_

 **"Aoba."**

 **"Good morning."**

 **"Good morning."**

 **"I'll examine you a bit now."**

 _ **Because Ren is an old model, restoration would be trouble if full-scale malfuction appeared. He has to be frequently maintained and checked. I hold a long cable starting from the desktop computer and push aside Ren's neck fur to connect the cable to the port.**_

 ***Coil screen showing Ren's system stats appear***

 _ **I start up a touch browser wtih the Coil and the interface that supervises Ren's engine is displayed.**_

 ***more screens pop up***

 **"Hm... Maybe the reaction speed of the reflection's decreased a bit."**

 _ **I grab a tool box that I'd thrown on the floor, remove the lid, take out a 10cm square scredriver, and push aside Ren's fur again. Although Allmates can fundamentally be fixed through the touch browser's control panel, Ren is an old model, and I need to look inside of him too. I take a stock of new chips out of the tool box and use tweezers to replace Ren's old chip with a new one.**_

"Oh, Aoba-kun. That reminds me. I found some more parts for Ren for whenever you need them." Haga told him. He knew how important the dog was to his employee and always kept an eye out for the parts. Though they were getting harder and harder to find.

"Thank you, Haga-san!" Aoba responded.

"Thank you, Haga." Ren parroted.

"It't no problem." Haga told them.

 ***screens close***

 **"This should be enough."**

 _ **I close the lid and control panel, remove the cable and lift Ren into my arms.**_

 ***screen shows Aoba holding Ren in front of him***

 **"How is it? Any place you're not feeling well?"**

 **"..."**

 **"Hm?"**

 **"There is some sense of incongruity. However, it's within the allowalbe range."**

 **"I see. Well, I only changed the chip. Tell me right away if any malfuction appears."**

 **"Understood."**

 ***screen shows Aoba resting his forehead against Ren's***

Koujaku couldn't help but smile slightly at how adorable Aoba looked like that. But then again, he was always adorable. He just seemed to get more so as they got older.

 _ **I stroke Ren's back as he answers me, and i place my forehead to his tiny one.I forget how long its been since we started to do this, but I make sure to do this every time I do maintenance on Ren. It's like a charm.**_

 **"Thank you, as always."**

 **"The pleasure is mine."**

 **"I'll count on you in the future, too."**

 **"The pleasure is mine."**

 ***screen shows Aoba leaning back, looking at Ren***

 **"...You always answer like that."**

 **"Is it strange?"**

 ***screen changes back to showing Aoba's room***

 **"No, not at all. I think it suits you, so it's good."**

 **"I wonder if I should thank you for that remark."**

 **"You should. I was complimenting you."**

 **"Thank you."**

 **"Ahahaha... The pleasure is mine."**

"You two are weird." Mizuki commented.

Next to him, Sei let out a quiet laugh. Hearing it, MIzuki gave the boy a small smile, please with himself for getting him to laugh.

"We're not weird..." Aoba defended.

"You are a little bit." Koujaku added in a teasing voice. He laughed when Aoba glared at him. Though it looked more like he was pouting.

 _ **I put our foreheads together one more time and lower Ren to the bed. Ren is always the same. No matter what, he'll be by my side. After that, I place my tools in order and leisurely spend time talking with Ren about everything.**_

 ***screen fades black before going to Heibon, a bell ringing***

 **"Good morning."**

 **"Good morning."**

 _ **The next day, when I go to work at Heibon as usual, Haga-san is organizing the stock. I leave my bag behind the counter and put down Ren before going over to Haga-san immediately. I have to properly apologize for yesterday...**_

"You don't need to do that, Aoba-kun." Haga told him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Doesn't mean I should apologize." Aoba stated, still feeling bad about what happened though he couldn't really control it.

 **"Boss."**

 ***screen shows Haga***

 **"Yes?"**

 **"I'm sorry about yesterday's delivery."**

 **"Eh? Aah, no no, don't worry about it anymore..."**

 _ **As he says that, his expression clouds. I'm surprised to see him do that. Maybe after I lost the package he was yelled at by the customer...? If so, then it's all my fault.**_

 **"Um, I'm really sorry. I'd like to apologize to the customer too if possible..."**

 **"Oh, yes. About that."**

 _ **Haga-san pushes up his glasses with a troubled face.**_

 **"Since yesterday's delivery was done with pre-payment, I wanted to ask if he wanted a refund or a re-delivery, and tried to contact him in various ways. I even tried to contact the control center, but it was completely useless."**

 **"Useless?"**

 **"Yes. I couldn't contact him at all. Since the sender and recipient were the same I tried checking the address, but a person with a completely different name lived there... And he said he didn't remember ordering any goods."**

"That's odd... Why would someone send an order to the wrong address like that?" Yoshie asked, confused.

"It's it obvious?" Noiz asked. Though it came out more like a statement.

"What?" Aoba asked, his tone annoyed as he glared slightly at the guy.

"Someone clearly did it to draw you out there to pull you into Rhyme." He responded. No need to mention that he was the guy who had done exactly that.

Aoba opened and closed his mouth for a moment, thinking about that. "Are you saying that it was a trap?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"...Brat.." Aoba muttered, going back to the game.

 **"In other words, was it a prank?"**

 **"It is very likely. But I don't know why anyone would want to do such a thing."**

 _ **Maybe... Even if I suggest it's a prank, it was already paid, and it would only be a loss for the other party. Why would anyone do something like that? I tilt my head together with Haga-san.**_

 **"It's fine as is... but it still doesn't feel right."**

 **"Yeah..."**

 ***screen changes to show the rabbit-head guy***

 _ **More importantly, I... was pulled into Rhyme during that delivery.**_

 ***screen goes back to Heibon***

 _ **Suspicion drifts through the air, and it suddenly becomes time to open shop.**_

 **"Oops, have to get to work."**

 _ **Haga-san hurries out of the shop. I feel somewhat unpleasant... and no matter how hard I think about it I don't understand it, so I'll have to give up for now.**_

 **"All right. I have some work to do too."**

 _ **I decide to change my mood and return to the counter.**_

 ***screen goes black for a moment***

 _ **The morning passes with no incidents in particular, and after finishing lunch break, the afternoon shift starts. Since Haga-san went out, I'm the only one in the shop.**_

 **"Yes... Yes. Well then, we look forward to hearing from you again."**

 _ **After finishing an incoming call from a customer, I take a breather. Since he reacted to my voice with the usual pattern, I was able to sell just as many things. It seemed like hwas one of those who had called before, and he was reluctant to hang up the phone, so it was a little troublesome.**_

"That must be annoying." Clear stated.

".. It is." Aoba told him.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be.. It's not you're fault."

Clear was silent. He wished there was something he could do to help his Master. Maybe he could track these people down and make them back off? But how would he go about doing that? Hmm.. This required more thought.

 ***bell rings***

 _ **While I feel disgusted by the excited voice that still lingers in my ears, the doorbell rings. Oh, a customer? I take my elbow off the counter and straighten myself up.**_

 ***Screen shows Kio***

 **"Hiya, Aoba."**

 ***shows Nao***

 **"Aoba, we came to plaaaaaay."**

 ***shows Mio***

 **"Hmph."**

 **"... It's you guys."**

 _ **I thought it was a customer, but the only ones that come in are the evil brat siblings. I let out and exaggerated sigh, rest my elbow on the counter again and give the kids a sharp glare. Whenever they come in, it always spells bad news.**_

 **"you just came to do stupid stuff again. Go home already."**

 **"Aoba, you're annoying." Kio**

 **"Annnoyiiiing." Nao**

 **"You just stay quiet now, all right?" Mio**

 **"..."Aoba**

 _ **Those brats...The brats find Bonjin-kun and immediately start chasing him.**_

 **"Ah, there it is!" Mio**

 **"Wait up, wait uuup!" Nao**

 **"Catch it!" Kio**

 **"C-Cleaning!"**

 _ **The confused Bonjin-kun quickly moves to escape. Bonjin-kun is quite clever for an Allmate, so he can move unexpectedly fast and his evasion ablility is also high. It's not so easy to catch him. But that's probably what keeps the brats chasing after him, anyway.**_

 **"Hey, hey, hey, hey, don't run!"**

 **"Ah, come on-!" Nao**

 **"Wait!" Kio**

 **"Catch it already!" Mio**

 **"Come oooooooooooooon!" Nao**

 **"C-Cleaning! Cleaninining!"**

 _ **Ah, the shelf is wobbling now... That cardboard looks like it's about to fall...**_

 **"..."**

 _ **It should be fine to just stop this by force... I thought I could, but I'm one step too late.**_

 ***crash is heard***

 **"Aaahhhh!" Aoba**

 **"No waaaay! Something broooooke!" Mio**

 **"It broke!" Nao**

 **"Don't you 'it broke!' me! You brats!"**

 **"Waaah! Aoba got angry!" Kio**

 **"Angryyy!" Nao**

 **"I hate quick-tempered men!" Mio**

 **"Shut up!... You! Hey! You too!"**

 _ **I catch the trio by their necks, drag them to the door, and throw them out.**_

"Should've just done that in the first place." Aoba said.

"Maybe if you do it more often, they'll stop coming in." Koujaku suggested, sure that it would work if it happened often enough.

"Maybe..." Though Aoba knew he probably wouldn't do it. They were just kids, brats, but still kids.

 ***screen shows outside Heibon***

 **"Uwah!" Kio**

 **"Ouch!" Nao**

 **"How cruel! You're awful!" Mio**

 **"Shut up, shut uuup! When you make an adult angry, it can get scaaaary."**

 _ **I put my hands on my hips and make an "intimidating teacher" pose while glaring at the brats.**_

 **"Geez, you're always causing trouble. Try reflecting a little. And go home already**

 **"So annoying! Shut up, stupid!" Kio**

 **"Stupid Aoba!" Nao**

 **"You're so lame, you old geezer!" Mio**

 **"... You little...Just listen to me alreadyyyyy!"**

 **"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!" all three**

 _ **The instant I finally snap and yell at them, the brats make a break for it. Ah, dammit. Even I don't think I'm all that popular, but... If those kids just had the capacity for even a tiny bit of cute in them... And not I have to clean the mess they left... Sheesh...**_

 ***a noise is heard***

 _ **...Hm? What? I thought I heard something just now...**_

 ***A crash his heard and screen changes to show aoba flinching back as Clear lays on the ground***

"There's me~" Clear said happily.

"Why did you fall from the sky!?" Aoba exclaimed.

Clear just shrugged, knowing he had probably jumped down from the roof.

 **"Whoooa!?"**

 _ **S-Something just fell all of the sudden!**_

 **"..."**

 _ **... What fell from the sky was apparently a person. But... A human... from the sky? From the physique, it appears to be a man. I can't see his face because his head is facing the other way. Is he... He isn't dead, right?**_

 **"U-uun..."**

 **"!"**

 ***screen goes back showing outside of Heibon***

 _ **The man moans and stands up. He's alive... I'm relieved, but soon find myself frozen in place again... He doesn't have a face? No, that's not it. He's wearing a gas mask**_

"What's up with the mask anyway?" Mizuki asked, looking at the guy.

"Hm? This? My grandfather told me I had to wear it." Clear responded.

"Why would he do that?" Koujaku asked.

Clear shrugged, not really wanting to get into detail about it. That and thinking about his grandfather was making him sad. But he was sitting next to Master! So that made everything better.

 ***screen briefly showed Clear as above text is shown***

 **"...Ah, that surpised me."**

 _ **The man scratches his hair and looks around frantically. He seems to be fine, but... Isn't he injured or anything? And why is he wearing a mask? Falling down from above is really weird, and no matter how you look at him he seems obviously suspicious.**_

 ***screen shows Clear***

 _ **As I stand petrified, the gas mask guy turns and faces towards me.**_

 **"..."**

 _ **I reflexively stop blinking and breathing. Don't come over here... Please ignore me and go somewhere else...**_

 ***sound of footsteps***

 _ **... But wishing that was futile, and the gas mask guy briskly approaches me.**_

 **"Master, I'm okay."**

"Master!?" More than one voice asked.

"Yes, Master~ I am here to serve you~" Clear sang out. He was leaning slightly towards Aoba, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Um..." Aoba wasn't sure how to respond to that. How should one respond in this situation? He glanced around, but everybody seemed as confused as he was. Except for the two nameless newcomers who's faces were both blank.

 **"...Huh?"**

 _ **Master?**_

 **"I heard Master's voice, so I came."**

 _ **...What's this guy talking about?**_

 **"Is something wrong?"**

 **"No, um... I think you're mistaking me for someone else."**

 **"Mistaking you for someone else?"**

 **"I'm not anyone's Master."**

 **"No, Master is Master."**

 **"No, you're wrong. I don't even know you."**

 **"That's not true. I'm Clear, the one who carried you here yesterday."**

 ***shows Clear's stats, all question marks***

"That's weird..." Mizuki stated. "Why is it like that?" He directed the question to Clear and sighed when he got another shrug in return. Can't this guy answer any question!?

 **"You carried me yesterday?"**

 _ **Yesterday, now that you mention it... After being in Rhyme, I woke up lying here for some reason.**_

 **"Wait... Were you the one who pulled me into Rhyme?"**

 _ **That rabbit head had his face covered, and I felt like his clothes were similar too.**_

 **"No, that was not me. But I thought that Master was Master and I carried you here."**

 _ **...His story doesn't quite make sense.**_

 **"I heard Master's voice yesterday. Destruction and death."**

"How could you have heard that? Unless you were the one who pulled me into Rhyme." Aoba accused, missing Noiz's quiet scoff at that.

"No! I would never do that to you, Master! I can't explain why I can hear you voice, I just can no matter where I am. Please believe me!" Clear exclaimed, looking upset, despite the mask.

Aoba was silent for a moment before lightly patting the guy on the head. Honestly, how could he stay mad at him. It felt like it would be kicking a puppy to do so.

"I believe you..." he told him, getting a quick, tight, hug in return.

 **"... What?"**

 _ **I've heard that somewhere...**_

 **"Why do you know those words... Guh!?"**

 _ **Suddenly the gas mask guy takes hold of both of my cheeks and pulls them right and left.**_

"Don't ever do that." Aoba warned him, giving him a look.

"Understood, Master!"

 **"Ow ow! Thah hurs!"**

 **"Master seems different from yesterday. It's hard to explain what, but if I had to say something, I remember your face and voice being scruffier."**

 _ **While pinching my cheeks, the gas mask guy keeps turning my head. Who is this guy!?**_

 **"Ih hurss! Leggo!"**

 **"Okay."**

 _ **The gas mask guy quickly releases his hands. Damn, that hurt... What's up with this guy!? He pinched my cheeks without holding back, and now it stings. While I rub my cheeks with watery eyes, the gas mask guy tilts his head.**_

 **"I'll ask again, but you really are Master, right?"**

 **"I already told you, I'm not!"**

 **"I don't think that's the case."**

 **"..."**

 _ **I stand silently irritated and take a deep breath in order to calm myself. Calm down... If you let him get to you, it's just what he wants. If this guy really is the rabbit head from yesterday, I have to catch him and question him. He seems like an idiot now, but if he gets angry won't his true nature come out? I can't do it in Rhyme, but if this becomes a fight in the real world, I'll manage somehow. I'll just try irritating him a little.**_

 **"...Hey!"**

 _ **As soon as I finish my yell, I throw a kick at the man's behind.**_

Clear looked upset again by that. Aoba sighed and lightly petted his head again and he perked back up.

"...Sorry about that..." he told him.

"It's alright.." Clear assured him. Though he would prefer not to be hit, if that's what Master thought needed to be done, so be it. But the blue-haired man didn't seem violent, so he was sure it was just because of the situation.

 **"Ahhh!"**

 _ **The gas mask guy leans back and holds his butocks with both hands.**_

 **"Please, Master... Stop it!"**

 **"...Wha?"**

 _ **The gas mask guy sinks to the floor.**_

 **"Please stop, Master... I can't... break any more than this."**

 **"..."**

 _ **...Yeah. This guy isn't him. Definitely not him. I'll just quickly finish up here and return to work.**_

 **"Anyway I'm not your Master. I have work to do so I'm going back. Bye."**

 **"What should I do?"**

 **"Go home!"**

 **"Understood."**

 _ **The gas mask guy nods obediently and digs through his pocket with his right hand. What he takes out is... Oh! A vinyl umbrella.**_

 ***Choices appear on screen***

 **-Why the umbrella?**

 **-Are you a magician?**

Aoba looked at the choices on the screen. He hesitated for a moment, unsure before he picked the choice 'Are you a magician?'

Koujaku gave him a look, thinking the other one made more sense. But Aoba was the one picking, so he didn't say anything.

 **"Are you a magician?"**

 **"No, I'm not. As I said earlier, my name is Clear. Who is this person named Magician?"**

 **"... No, whatever. Forget it."**

 **"Well then, I'll be going."**

 _ **Even though it still isn't raining, he opens the umbrella, turns around, and leaves.**_

 **"...What just happened?"**

 _ **I stare at the man's back in utter amazement.**_

 **"...I'll just go back in."**

 _ **For some reason... I have the feeling I've been made fun of bya a tanuki or a fox or something. I didn't see anything... Yeah, not a thing. I make up my mind and return to the shop.**_

-linebreak-

 **It's so hard to find a good place to have people say something. But this is the end of this chapter. We got to meet Clear~ Yay~ Let me know what you guys think. More interruptions or is this enough?**

 **On another note, I am going to be taking requests for one-shots from anybody who wants one. It can be any pairing in this game that you would want.**

 **Ones lined up: for musicaltigresa. Your one-shot, called Fixing What's Broken, will be out in a few days. I'm not good at making up titles, so if you don't like that one, let me know and I'll think of a different one.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL**

 **Important note at bottom. Please read.**

-linebreak-

 _ **When I return inside, I find Bonjin-kun completely out of it.**_

 **"Cleaning... cleaning...?"**

 _ **... That's right. That gas mask guy made me completely forget. The shop is still in a crazy mess because of those brats...**_

"I can help you clean the mess if you want, Master." Clear told him.

"Uh... That won't be necessary... It's part of my job." Aoba responded, a bit uncomforable at being called 'Master'.

"But I want to help."

"...Do what you want.."

 **"Aah..."**

 _ **First the kids, then the gas mask guy... Today's just one of those days. Suddenly feeling tired, I slowly begin to put away the items that lay scattered around back in order.**_

 ***screen goes black then shows Aoyagi Street***

 _ **After work finishes for the day, I leave the store with deliveries to Mizuki. The order came from Mizuki's shop, so I thought about meeting him on the way home. When you go a bit north from Heibon, there's Mizuki's shop, "Black Needle". It was originally a studio tattoo parlor, but since then the waiting room was turned into a bar and the parlor became a hangout spot. Even outside of Rib team members and their tag arts, tattoos have become popular, especially in casual fashion, so Mizuki's shop was doing pretty well. Of course, since Mizuki is a tattooist, he's asked if he could tattoo me. I'm not interested so I won't do it.**_

"I still think you'd look good with a tattoo." Mizuki said.

"And if I ever change my mind about wanting one, I'll let you know." Aoba told him.

Mizuki pouted for a second before turning to Sei.

"How about you? You want one?"

"Umm... I don't know... We'll see..." Sei responded. It was never something he had thought about. Especially considering he didn't think he was going to live much longer. Not with the way his life was going. It seemed like such a waste to get one if he wasn't going to live long enough to enjoy having it.

"Just let me know and I'll hook you up. Free of charge." Mizuki told him with a smile.

"You don't have to do that..."

"I insist."

"...Alright... I'll let you know..."

 ***scene changes to an alley***

 _ **I walk into the darkening town and arrive near Black Needle. This area is Dry Juice's territory. I notice some of the members walking around. When I was with Mizuki I became acquainted with the members too, so they won't bother me when I walk through their territory.**_

 **"Aah, Aoba-san."**

 **"Hey, long time no see."**

 **"Business with Mizuki-san?"**

 **"Our shop got an order. I came to deliver it."**

 **"Mizuki-san's at our hangout."**

 **"Got it. I'll try going there then."**

 _ **The hangout isn't far from here. I decide to head over there.**_

 ***scene changes to Dry Juice hangout***

 _ **The Dry Juice hangout is an area that branches out into several alleys. Because of the large number of people, their hangout area is spread pretty far. While members hung out in each alley, Mizuki would always be standing in one place.**_

 ***shows Mizuki standing infront of stairs***

 _ **In front of stairs where their huge tag art is drawn, Mizuki stands talking with other members. When he notices me, Mizuki beckons me to come closer with his hand.**_

 **"Nice to see you again! Heibon's delivery service here."**

 **"Oh, the things I asked for? Thanks."**

 _ **I pass him the bag and send the receipt with my Coil. I receive a confirmationreply from Mizuki, and with that the delivery is done.**_

 **"Thanks for doing this. Your shop even has minor parts for stuff, so it's worth it to rely on you."**

 **"I'll tell that to the boss."**

 **"Are you going home after this?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"Good job. I'm going back to my shop now, come and have a drink."**

"You know Aoba can't hold his drinks well." Koujaku said.

"I can too!" Aoba snapped back, glaring at him. Though it looked more like a pout from where he was sitting.

"Oh yeah? Then how about this. The next time me and the boys go out, you come with us. Then we'll see." Koujaku challenged.

"Yeah, Aoba-san. It'll be fun." Kou agreed. It's been a while since Aoba's come with them to the bar and it was always entertaining.

"Fine. Let's do it." Aoba stated, not wanting to back down from a challenge. He was sure he'd be fine.

 **"Well, if you insist."**

 _ **Mizuki begins to walk away from the wall. I follow after him. The surrounding members greet Mizuki as he passes them. Among them are guys who bow as low as 90 degrees, and Mizuki gives them wry smiles.**_

 ***scene changest to Black Needle***

 _ **Black Needle is a dark building with a small sign placed where it won't attract attention. When the door is opened and we head inside, I'm greeted by a music playing at a nice tempo. The bar that served as a waiting room was larger than one would imagine just from seeing the size of the shop. In the dim lighting, several people sit sunken into a sofa, reading a magazine or talking in whispers.**_

 _ **Reception on the left side, bar counter on the right, and the door leads to the back room where tattoos were done. Mizuki talks with a young part-timer at the recpetion desk. In the meantime, I look around at the state of the shop.**_

 **"Not as many customers today?"**

 _ **When I casually ask this to Mizuki after he finishes talking with the part timer, his expression turns bitter.**_

 **"That's right..."**

 **"What's wrong?"**

 **"No, you know. We talked about it yesterday, remember? The mysterious disapparances."**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"I think the decrease in customers is also due to that."**

"Don't worry, Mizuki-kun. Sometimes a business just has slow times. I'm sure things will pick up for you soon." Haga told him, Yoshie nodded in agreement. Things were sure to be fine for the younger man. His business included a bar, so people will at least come for that.

Mizuki gave them a smile, trying to share the optimism. "If you guys say so." He wasn't so sure himself.

 **"What? Like everyone's scared and stopped going outside?"**

 **"I think the influence isn't quite that strong yet, but... Overall, it's growing, or at least it feels like it."**

 **"I see."**

 **"After that, we got some information again. But I can't tell the truth from the lies at all."**

 _ **With a serious expression Mizuki urges me to lend an ear. I bring my face closer to him.**_

 **"They're saying it really was Morphine abducting the teams."**

 **"That's not possible. Morphine is..."**

 **"There are apparently some guys who have seen Morphine."**

 **"Isn't that some random remark of some idiot who wants attention? You believe that?"**

 **"That's why I said I don't know if it's true or not. I only heard it from some people. Anyway, now all Rib teams are growing uneasy with the fear of a surprise attack. But."**

 _ **Mizuki then raises the edges of his mouth defiantly.**_

 **"Morphine or whatever it is, it doesn't concern our team. They won't be a threat."**

Sei frowned to himself. The way Mizuki kept talking about Morphine gave him a bad feeling. If those two 'not-twins' did anything to hurt him, he'd kill them himself. Screw the consequences. He managed to wipe the frown off his face by the time said man in question turned to look at him and gave him a small smile instead, earning one in return.

 **"Right?"**

 _ **While I return the smile, I remember a faint anxiety. I feel like Mizuki's been putting a little too much effort into Rib recently. I hope he doesn't collapse or anything...**_

 **"Oh right, let's drink something. Let's go over there."**

 _ **When I walk towards the bar with Mizuki, a tattoo design displayed by the reception desk catches my eyes. It's carefully put in a frame.**_

Koujaku's eyes narrowed at the sight of the drawing. He recoginzed that style. But, he didn't say anything. No need to let everybody know about his grudge, right? It was something he needed to handle himself.

 **"Was this here before?"**

 **"Oh, that. No, I got that from a tattooist I respect. Cool, isn't it? He's a famous person said to have God's skills but he doesn't have a shop. If he doesn't personally know you, he won't tattoo you."**

 **"So he refuses strangers?"**

 **"That's right. A little while ago he came to this shop by chance, and I got it then. He really was a person with an unusual aura after all."**

 _ **Mizuki seems to be extremely happy. He really likes that picture.**_

 **"If he's that amazing, I'd like to see him once, too."**

 **"But I thought you didn't want a tatto, right?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"In that case, no way."**

 **"Huuh?"**

 **"If you want to know why, it'd cost you 1 million yen."**

 **"Expensive! That's some serious overcharging."**

 **"Ahaha."**

The joking on screen took away the tense atmosphere that some of the people in the room had. It was always nice to see two friends joking around.

 ***Aoba's Coil ringing***

 _ **As we joke and laugh, the ringtone of my Coil sounds.**_

 **"...Hm?"**

 ***Screen pulls up, showing income call from Delivery Works***

 _ **It was a call from Delivery Works.**_

 **"Hello?"**

 **"Ah, thank goodness it went through! Aoba-chan!?"**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"It's me, me! Yoshie!"**

 **"What's the matter?"**

 **"Oh my, it's serious! Very serious! Please listen to me and don't panic, okay?"**

 **"...Okay."**

 **"Tae-san has...!"**

 **"-! Granny!?"**

Aoba got very tense at that. Something happened to Granny!? No! That couldn't happen! He didn't know what he would do without her!

"Tae-san is going to be alright." Koujaku assured him, rubbing his back.

"Koujaku is right. I'm not some fragile old lady! I'm still plenty young." Tae stated, giving Aoba a look to prove her point.

"I know that, Granny.. I just can't help but worry." Aoba told her.

"Hmph."

 ***screen goes black and shows alleys***

 _ **Granny had fallen down. After I hang up the phone call from Yoshie-san, I explain the situation to Mizuki and hurry out to Delivery Works. She fell down on her way to a patient's house where she was going to deliver some medicine that she had prescribed. She was then taken to the Delivery Works which happened to be nearby.**_

 _ **Anyway... I ran at full speed. My heart felt like it was about to explode and I had no breath left. My whole body is tense, my fingers and toes tingling.**_

"That doesn't sound like it's good for your health. You need to be more careful, Aoba." Ren stated.

"I know.. I'm just worried about Granny."

"As Tae said, she will be alright. You just need to trust her."

"I will..." Aoba said, petting Ren lightly.

 _ **Granny's collapsed from overwork before. It was because of... me. It was because I made her worry all the time. I honestly regret what happened back then. When I think of actually losing Granny, I get so scared it makes me tremble. I don't want to think about it ever again. Never again.**_

 ***screen shows Aoyagi Street***

 **"...Guh...!"**

 _ **I-I have to get to Granny quickly...! Granny...!**_

 **"You people are just exaggerating things." Tae**

 ***screen shows inside Deliver Works***

 _ **...That's the first thing I hear. When I rush into Delivery Works, I see Granny leaving back in a chair. After seeing that... I almost collapse on the spot. Granny had certainly fallen down. It turns out she can't move at all... In other words, she dislocated her hip. Apparently Yoshie-san who made the call had seen Granny in pain and was frightened to death. As soon as I enter the shop, she apologizes earnestly with an "I'm so sorryyyyy". Honestlly, I'm a bit disappointed, but... I'm also glad it's nothing serious. What a relief...**_

Aoba felt instant relief at that. Looks like he had been worrying for nothing.

"I'm sorry about that, Aoba-chan." Yoshie said, her voice apologetic.

"It's alright, Yoshie-san. You were just worried." Aoba assured her.

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **That said, Granny can't walk so I have to carry her home.**_

 ***shows Aoba carrying Tae***

 **"Really, you people are just exaggerating things."**

 **"..."**

 _ **Granny complains about the same thing as earlier while on my back. I walk home slowly to avoid moving her too much.**_

"Not fragile." Tae grumbled. Though she was pleased that Aoba cared so much about her.

"I know, Granny. Doesn't mean I can't take care of you."

"Hmph."

 **"It can't be helped. Everyone's worried about you, Granny. I am too."**

 **"I'm still healthy enough."**

 **"I know that, but still."**

 _ **Behind us, Ren follows, tapping along with his small legs.**_

 **"When I can't move a little you treat me like I'm going to die right away."**

 **"Owowow. Don't kick me. Anyway, let's go to the hospital tomorrow? Okay?**

 _ **Since Granny is quite rowdy for her age, I'm afraid I might drop her. And... She was light. I never really thought too much about it, but was she always this small? This is the first time I'd ever carried her on my back.**_

 **"Thinking back, you used to be the one to carry me around."**

 **"Hmm?"**

 **"I was just talking about the past."**

 **"...Hmph. Because you always went off on your own."**

 **"On my own?"**

 **"Yes. I would look away for a moment, and before I knew it you'd be gone."**

 **"Is that so? I can't remember at all."**

 **"I'd get lonely."**

 **"Lonely? Why?"**

 **"Because you only started to go off on your own once your parents were gone."**

 **"Ah..."**

 _ **I see. My memory of my parents is hazy. But I do remembr the times when Granny carried me on her back. It was warm and smelled like her. I would always calm down.**_

 **"Well, that was when you were small, so I won't blame you. But now you're all grown up and stupid."**

Aoba felt bad about making her feel lonely, like he had been after his parents left. Then she insulted him and found himself glaring(read as pouting) at her.

 **"That's just how it is. At this age it's normal to act differently than you did as a kid."**

 **"Nobody said anything about that."**

 **"Granny, could you carry me on our back like in the old days? A challenge, seeing as we're both healthy enough?"**

 **"Don't spout nonsense. Are you trying to kill me?"**

 **"I'm just joking."**

 **"Hmph."**

 **"...Granny."**

 **"What is it?"**

 **"You're light."**

 **"Shut your hole!"**

 ***sound of Aoba being hit***

 **"Ouch!"**

 _ **I'm slapped hard on the side of my head. But for some reason I begin to feel happy and smile to myself. I'm so relieved that Granny's safe. When I think that someday this noisiness will be gone, I feel lonely. I walk silently down the darkening road, feeling Granny's warmth on my back.**_

 ***screen goes black then changes to the outside***

 _ **The next morning I carried Granny on my back again and took her to the neighboring hospital. I thought I'd take the day off from my part-time job just in case, and called Haga-san.**_

"Don't take time off work for that. I'll be just fine." Tae said.

"You should let him take care of you every once in a while, Tae-san. I can handle the shop on my own for a day or two if needed." Haga said.

"Yeah. You have such a loving grandson." Yoshie stated. Aoba blushed lightly at that.

 _ **Even though it was called a hospital, this is the Old Resident District, so it meant the faciliteis were old and small, there were few doctors, and it was always crowded. It was wearing down here and there, and it couldn't be complimented on how sanitary it was, either. But all the people in the hospital were kind. They knew Granny from earlier and when I called, they said we could come immediately. Granny hated going to the hospital and always said she could take care of herself, but today she obediently underwent the medical examination. Perhaps she had been enduring the pain out of pride.**_

 ***screen shows Seragaki house***

 _ **The said her hip wasn't that bad and it could be treated at home, so I carried Granny home after the examination. When I laid Granny on a futon and sighed, she said she'd only be sleeping so I should go to my job already. I was still worried, but once Granny begins speaking, she won't listen to anything. When I talked with Haga-san on the phone, and he said it was okay if I could come as soon as I could for now, and I decied to go to the shop.**_

 ***scene changed to Heibon and a beeing is heard. Soon Aoba's Coil screen is pulled up, showing a new message from Koujaku***

 _ **I feel uneasy as I go into the shop, and eventually I receive a message. It's from Koujaku.**_

 ***Message opens. It reads 'I saw Mizuki, but something seemed strange. When I talked to him, he kept spacing out and would react. I think you'd be better off listening instead of me. If you have time, contact him. I'll come talk about the details later.'***

 **"Mizuki..."**

 _ **Something must be strange if Koujaku even sent me a message about it. Maybe he really is overdoing it...**_

"I'm sure Koujaku is just over reacting." Mizuki said.

"I don't think I am. You need to remember to take care of you health. Your team would rather be without you for a few days so you can take care of your health than have you collapse." Koujaku told him.

Behind him, several BeniShigure members voiced their agreement. They knew it would be awful if something happened to their leader. So they always made sure to look after him when he wasn't doing it himself.

"I'll keep that in mind, guys."

 ***Coil screen closes and scene moves to back room***

 _ **I leave the counter, walk towards the toilet, and call Mizuki.**_

 ***Call screen for Coil opens***

 **"...Hello? Mizuki?"**

 **"...Aoba, huh? What's the matter?"**

 _ **Good, he answered the phone. I feel a little relieved.**_

 **"Ah, nothing, I don't really have anything important to say, I just wanted to talk.**

 **"What, we just saw each other yesterday. You're a weird guy."**

 **"Nn...Naah. I was just wondering if you're okay."**

 **"Course I am. Why?"**

 **"Because when we met yesterday, I thought you didn't seem so hot. Just a little, though."**

 **"So you called because you were worried. Thanks. But I'm okay."**

 **"Really?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"Alright. Well then, let's talk some more another time."**

 **"Right. Bye then."**

 ***Call ends and screen closes***

 **"..."**

 ***goes back to front counter***

 _ **After the call, I sigh and head back to the counter. There was no life in Miuki's voice after all. He said he was okay, so I didn't listen too deeply, but... On top of Granny falling down yesterday, my worries just keep growing. I hope they're just imaginary fears... I spend the rest of the afternoon worrying about Mizuki and Granny, unable to concentrate on work.**_

"Don't worry about me." Mizuki told him.

"Can't help it. You're my friend. I'd worry just the same for Koujaku." Aoba told him. Next to him, Koujaku had a pleased look on his face, happy that Aoba would care enough about him to worry.

 ***screen goes black before going to Seragaki house***

 _ **When I come back home after my part-time job, I restlessly try to open the lock on the front door. I wonder if Granny behaved herself?... However, I stop my hand halfway. Something's strange.**_

 ***a click is heard***

 **"Huh?"**

 ***more clicks heard***

 _ **When I insert the key, something feels different... Don't tell me.**_

 **"...It's open."**

 _ **The door isn't locked. Did I go out without locking it again...?**_

"What did I say about locking the door when you leave!?" Tae exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! Ren, make sure that I lock the door whenever I leave the house." Aoba told the Allmate.

"Understood."

 **"This is bad, Granny's inside... What do I do if something happened?"**

 ***shows inside front hall***

 _ **The bonds between the people in the community are strong, but security isn't tight, and it wasn't uncommon to hear of thieves. I feel sick of my own forgetfulness and I enter the house, listening carefully... There doesn't seem to be any sign of people.**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **I take off my shoes and enter the corridor before heading straight to Granny's room. I open the door quietly and peep inside to find Granny sleeping buring in the futon. Looks like nothing happened...**_

 ***screen shows front hall***

 _ **I heave a sigh of relief and return to the corridor.**_

 **"...Hm?"**

 _ **I stop going up the stairs. Something... felt strange. It's quiet in the house because Granny was sleeping, and there's nothing particularly strange. Is it my imagination?**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **I twist my neck as I walk up the stairs and open the door to my room... Iside, I realize that it wasn't just my imagination.**_

 ***shows Aoba's room, trashed***

Aoba looked concerned at that. He knew he wasn't that messy. That meant someone had been in there. Hopefully nothing to important had been stolen.

 **"Wha-what's all this..."**

 _ **Not that it's anything to brag about, but my room was nevery particlarly clean. There were books and magazines piled up on the floor, and there were also many things I just left there because cleaning them up would be a pain. But... I don't remember it being this dirty. The room is a complete mess, almost like a storm blew its way through it. There are no places left to stand. Everything has been pulled out, and even the table was tuned over. And in the middle of it all sits something that I would've never wanted to see... A person is sitting in front of the computer monitor. Just boldly sitting there. I can only think of one thing this person might be. It's just like what I was thinking earlier.**_

 **"Thief! What are you doing in someone else's room!?"**

 ***screen shows Noiz sitting at Aoba's computer***

"What are you doing in my room!?" Aoba demanded, glaring at the blond.

"Obviously I'm going through your stuff." Came Noiz's response.

That earned him a few glares from around the room, but they didn't bother him.

 _ **The person in front of the computer looks up slowly as if he only just realizes my presence. He's a completely unfamiliar face and I've never seen him before in my life. He seems to be about the same age as me.**_

 **"Welcome back."**

 **"Wha...!? Who are you? Why are you in my room...?"**

 **"By the way-"**

 _ **He ignores me as I tremble with anger and taps on the keyboard with his middle finger.**_

 **"Hey! I didn't say you could touch that!"**

 **"I don't understand the data inside of here at all. What's this even supposed to be? Even the Allmate remodeling program here is complicated. Who the hell are you?"**

 **"Like hell I'd tell you! Just get out!"**

 **"..."**

 ***scene shows room again***

 _ **The man laughs through his nose as if he's looking down on me and stands up.**_

 **"Hey, you. Don't you know who I am?"**

 **"Wha?"**

 **"I think you do know, though."**

 **"...I don't know you at all. You've got the wrong guy."**

 **"..."**

 _ **The man looks into my eyes and opens his mouth slowly.**_

 **"This time, it is such an honor. So let's have a fun game, shall we?"**

 ***screen flashes the bunny head guy for a second***

"Are you the guy who pulled me into Rhyme!?" Aoba asked, figuring it out a lot sooner than his on screen counterpart.

"So what if I am?" Noiz asked, a small smirk on his face.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted to. Obviously." Why wouldn't he want to fight the undefeated Sly Blue. He was sure that fight would give him the feeling his was looking for.

Aoba glared at him, along with Koujaku, Mizuki, and the members of BeniShigure. But the blond didn't react at all to their glares.

 **"...!?"**

 _ **...I've heard that somewhere before. What? Where was it? I've got a very unpleasant feeling...**_

 **"Still don't know?"**

 _ **The man takes something out of his pants pocket. It's something full of rabbit heads... a key chain.**_

 **"...!"**

 ***screen flashes to bunny head again***

 _ **This guy...**_

 ***goes back to bedroom***

 _ **Statisfied with my reaction, the man drops the key chain and looks at me.**_

 **"It was a pretty entertaining setup, wasn't it? Misdirected home delivery and all."**

 **"!Were you the Drive-Byer back then? And the home delivery... Were you the one that ordered from us?"**

 **"Yeah. When I investigated various things I found out you worked there, so I thought I'd have you come to me. I paid in advance, so there's no problems for the shop, right?"**

 **"...That's not the issue."**

"Then what is the issue, exactly? You guys get free payment and keep the part I paid for. I'm not seeing the problem." Noiz said.

"The issue is that upset Haga-san." Aoba snapped back.

"Why should I care what he thinks? He's a stranger, and like I said, you get a bonus payment and keep the part."

"It's alright, Aoba-kun." Haga told the blue-haired man. He wanted to be upset, but at least he knew who the order came from now. And sure, the kid seemed kind of cold for being so young. But he wasn't going to judge him since, like the other had said, they were strangers. He'd reserve his judgement for when he knew the boy better.

Aoba looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but just nodded and went back to the game.

 _ **I recall how completely at a loss Haga-san was, and the anger wells up.**_

 **"By the way. It was like that before too, but... When we did Rhyme, what did you do?"**

 **"What are you talking about?"**

 **"Don't play dumb. I'm asking how you beat me."**

 _'What!? I lost!? How?'_ Noiz thought. Sure, the ending had made it seem like he might have lost, but he didn't like it being confirmed. He needed to know what happened so that he could plan for it better.

 **"...Beat you?"**

 _ **During the Drive-By thing, did I beat this guy? I can't remember...**_

 **"Are you deaf? Say something."**

 **"No... I don't remember."**

 **"What?"**

 **"I can't remember a thing about what happened during Rhyme..."**

 **"..."**

 _ **The man frowns a little, but immediately forms a straight face again.**_

 **"So that's how you try to get out of it."**

 **"...Guh!"**

 _ **Suddenly, he grabs me by my coat collar and presses me against the wall. This guy's stronger than he looks...!**_

"If you hurt Master, I will have to hurt you in return." Clear said. Noiz gave him a look that said 'I'm not scared of you'.

"That won't be necessary, Clear... I can handle myself." Aoba told the white-haired man. He really didn't want things to come to a fight.

"If you are sure, Master."

"I'm sure."

 **"Then I'll have to use force. It seems to be the most effective way for you."**

 **"...Gh, let me go!"**

 **"You really don't remember?"**

 **"I don't remember!"**

 **"..."**

 _ **The man stares into my eyes intently as if he's trying to find something.**_

 **"Fight me in Rhyme one more time."**

 **"Wha? I don't know how to do Rhyme, ...ugh."**

 _ **I'm pressed against the wall with even more force.**_

 **"Still going to say that? Then I'll destroy what's important to you."**

 **"!"**

 **"I know what's important to you. I know all about it."**

 _ **The man's eyes look at the computer, suggesting something. What this guy's talking about is probably... Ren.**_

"You better not touch Ren." Aoba muttered, holding the Allmate close to his chest. Ren wagged his tail slowly and licked his cheek in reassurance.

 _ **He's threatening me. If I don't accept, he's really gonna do it. A dangerous atmosphere fills the room. But even now I don't feel like fighting him in Rhyme. And I'm beginning to get angry at his ridiculous behavior.**_

 ***Choices appear on screen***

 **-Fight back**

 **-You brat!**

Aoba instantly chose the choice 'fight back'. That was the only obvious answer for that. Of course he was going to fight back.

 **"...Give me a break!"**

 _ **I raise my knee to kick the man. But because of my awkward position, the attack fails and he guards it with one hand.**_

 **"...Ugh!"**

 _ **He pulls the leg he caught, and I fall down sliding along the wall I was pressed against.**_

 **"Ouch..."**

 _ **While I endure the pain that hit straight to my back, the man sits on my stomach.**_

 **"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?"**

 **"Shut up."**

 _ **With an indifferent expression, the man holds my arm and suddenly twists it.**_

This got Noiz more glares from the people in the room. But he remained with his face completely blank, already rethinking his strategy for Rhyme.

 **"Owow ow ow ow!"**

 **"You can still do Rhyme with only one hand."**

 **"Geh!"**

 _ **This guy...!**_

 **"If you don't want a broken arm, fight me."**

 _ **My arm creaks, bent backwards and twisted at the joint. I absolutely... do not want to do Rhyme. I don't want to make any trouble for Ren, either. What should I do...?**_

 ***choices appear on screen***

 **-I hear someone on the stairs**

 **-I hear something on the roof**

Aoba thought for a moment. He was worried that the someone on the stairs might be Tae, and he didn't want her involved. But he wasn't sure he trusted a random noise on the roof. So he clicked the choice 'I hear someone on the stairs'. Better to take a chance for it being someone he knew rather than the unknown.

 _ **...Just now, a sound came from the stairs. But I can't afford to think about what it is.**_

 **"...Ugh...!"**

 **"Aoba!"**

Aoba was relieved that the person wasn't Tae. And he wasn't at all surprised that it was Koujaku. The man always seemed to be coming over to his house anyway.

"I've got your back, Aoba." Koujaku told him, giving him a smile.

"Yeah.. Thanks." Aoba responded.

 **"!?"**

 _ **Suddenly the door opens and Koujaku flies in.**_

 **"Koujaku! Why are..."**

 **"I sent you a message saying I'd come to talk about Mizuki, didn't I? But more importantly... You bastard, let go of Aoba!"**

 _ **Koujaku growls and grabs the man.**_

 **"Tch."**

 _ **The man falls down on the floor with Koujaku, and a struggle begins. My arm is released and I'm free now, but it's already too late.**_

 **"Stop it, both of you!"**

 **"...Ugh!" Noiz**

 **"Bastard!"Koujaku**

 **"Ngh...!" Noiz**

 **"...Gh!" Koujaku**

 **"Hey!" Aoba**

 _ **I can't stop them because they're rolling and tumbling all over the place. The man avoids Koujaku's attack and grabs his shoulder, trying to kick him in the stomach. Koujaku dodges it with his hand and returns the favor with a headbutt.**_

 **"Tsk!" Noiz**

 _ **That slows the man's movements. But he immediately kicks Koujaku in the stomaach again.**_

 **"...Ugh, asshole!" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku retreats to a safe distance and the knee of the man goes just above the hem of his kimono. Koujaku, fed up with the bratty man who won't behave, raises his fist fiercely.**_

 ***a knock is heard***

 _ **...Then, a sound comes from the window. Everyone's attention is turned to there.**_

 ***screen shows Clear at window***

 **"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrr...!"**

Well, at least that explained the noise on the roof. Though Aoba wasn't sure what the man was doing there.

"Why are you outside my window?" He asked.

"I'm looking after you, Master. Isn't it obvious?" Clear asked, confused about why the man would think he'd be anywhere else but close enough to help.

"I guess so..." He said, not really wanting to start an argument with him. Though it wasn't obvious to him that that was what he was doing.

 _ **...**_

 **"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh!?"**

 ***Tae busts into the room***

 **"You brats are too noisy! Give me a break!"**

 _ **The door opens violently and Granny's angry voice echoes throughout the room. Koujaku, the man in green, gas mask guy and I all stop moving and turn to look at Granny as if we were little chicks.**_

 **"You youngsters..."**

 _ **A very visible blood vessel appears on her forehead, and she looks at us with eyes burning with anger.**_

 **"Everyone, downstairs! Right now!"**

"Trust Tae-san to break up a fight." Koujaku said, slight laughter in his voice. He knew Tae was a force to be reckoned with.

"And don't you forget it. Any of you." Tae stated.

"Yes, Granny.." Aoba said, knowing he would never forget it.

-linebreak-

 **End of the chapter. We get to meet Noiz, though he would introduce himself until next chapter. :)**

 **I have a question for you guys. I really need an answer for it. Should I have someone point out the similarities between Aoba and Sei? If so, who? And it can't be Sei himself or Tae, who probably already knows who he is. Since they are going to get a break from the game to discuss what's happening coming up soon, I want to know if it being pointed out at that time would be a good idea for the story or if it should wait all the way until Ren's route to be pointed out. Please let me know.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you thought.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

 **See bottom for AN. Please read. Questions that need answered at bottom.**

-linebreak-

 ***scene shows kitchen***

 **"..." Noiz**

 **"..." Koujaku**

 **"Ouch..." Aoba**

 _ **Following Granny's orders, we headed downstairs and sat silently at the table. My head hurts... Granny hit me. Of course, everyone else got the same treatment.**_

 ***screen shows the group with x's on their heads, sitting at the table***

 _ **Every one of us was at fault, so as a result we were all hit- and now there are large bumps on our heads. When I saw Granny going over to hit the man in green earlier, I was afraid he would fight back, but even though he was in an openly bad mood he didn't really say anything. I wonder why? Because his opponent was a delicate old person? Or maybe it was something completely different...**_

"Who are you calling delicate!?" Tae exclaimed, giving Aoba a glare.

"Not you, Granny!" Aoba exlaimed immediately.

"I wouldn't hit an old lady." Noiz grumbled to himself. Yeah, he liked to fight. But he had his limits on who he'd fight. Plus, he was sure that old lady could defintely hold her own in a fight.

 _ **When Granny asked me how all of this happened in the first place, I confessed to forgetting to lack the front door again. Then I was also given a bump on the head. I'll make sure to never forget to lock the front door again...**_

 ***screen zooms in on Clear and Noiz***

 **"I never thought I'd be hit too!" Clear**

 _ **That reminds me, this gas mask guy said his name was Clear when I met him before. He has the same suspicous presense as the man in green...**_

 **"Aoba, come over here for a minute!" Tae**

 ***screen zooms out to show kitchen***

 **"Yeah, yeah." Aoba**

 _ **Granny calls me into the kitchen and I stand up from my chair while rubbing th bump. Earlier, I heard the sound of something being fried and a sweet smell filled the air. Now, when I look at Granny's hands, I see doughnuts piled in a basket covered with kitchen paper. So she really was cooking things for us.**_

 **"Bring that. Everyone's fine with tea, right?" Tae**

 **"Yes, yes. Oh, by the way, Granny."**

 **"What?"**

 **"Is it okay for you to be up already? How's your hip?"**

 **"Can't you tell by looking? Stop babbling on and go already."**

"Just let the boy worry about you, Tae-san. It shows he cares." Yoshie stated.

"Hmph." Was Tae's response. It wasn't his job to worry about her, after all. Worrying was part of her job; and with a grandson like Aoba, it came with a lot of worrying.

 _ **Granny drives me off and I return to the table with the doughnuts. Then, I fill everyone's teacups and return to my own seat. After a while, Granny comes to sit down too.**_

 **"When people are full, their anger will naturally subside. Eat already." Tae**

 **"So these are for us? I could tell what you were making by the smell. Your doughnuts are exceptional, Tae-san." Koujaku**

"Suck up.." Aoba muttered under his breath.

Koujaku smiled, hearing that and lightly shoved Aoba in response. With earned him a glare, but he just smiled wider.

 **"Just hurry up and eat." Tae**

 ***shows everybone at the table, eating the doughnuts***

 _ **Koujaku, who knows the smell of Granny's doughnuts well, immediately reaches out to the basket. The man in green and the gas mask guy keep staring at the doughnuts as if they're completely alien objects.**_

 **"If you're going to eat then eat, if not, then don't." Tae**

 _ **The gas mask guy can't eat if he doesn't remove the mask, and the man in green doesn't even seem to want to eat in the first place. I didn't think he would, but surprisingly enough he picks up a doughnut. He still looks grumpy but he starts to nibble at his doughnut.**_

 **"They're sweet." Noiz**

 **"That's a given. It's that kind of food." Tae**

 **"But it's still sweet." Noiz**

 **"You don't have to force yourself to eat it." Tae**

 **"..." Noiz**

"Have you never had doughnuts before?" Aoba asked, confused by the way the guy was acting towards the food.

"..."

"Seriously!?" The blue haired man exclaimed, taking the blond's silence as a yes.

"..."

Tae examined the boy in question. She didn't like his attitude, but since he was here, she figured he was going to play an important part in Aoba's life. So she figured she should give him so good food; he was looking a bit scrawny to her.

 _ **Granny snorts, displeased. The man continues gnawing at his doughnut. It's completely impossible to read what this guy is thinking. I then look at the gas mask guy... to Clear, and it looks like he hasn't moved at all.**_

 **"You're not going to eat? Granny's doughnuts are delicious." Aoba**

 **"I'll eat." Clear**

 **"Then I guess you'd better hurry?" Aoba**

 **"Yes, I'll eat." Clear**

 _ **Clear keeps still. If he can't eat if he doesn't take off his mask, will he still take one? expecting something to happen, I continue to stare at Clear while lightly sipping my tea.**_

 **"...Huh?" Aoba**

 _ **I realize a doughnut from Clear's side of the basket is now gone. And... I think his mask is moving up and down.**_

 **"You... Did you just eat one?" Aoba**

 **"Yes, I did. They're delicious." Clear**

 **"...Maybe it's a super power." Aoba**

"How can you eat with that mask on?" Sei asked, his voice quiet . He seemed as amazed by that as Aoba was.

"It takes practice!" Clear happily exclaimed, having heard the question clearly.

"But why not just take the mask off?"

"Can't do that."

"But why?"

He didn't recieve an answer to that question. Which just left him, and everyone who heard the conversation, more curious.

 _ **Did he eat it while wearing his gas mask? How? ... Well, let's not go there. I grab a doughnut and start eating too. Granny's doughnuts are good even when cooled down, but when they're freshly made, a special, gentle sweetness will flow through your mouth when you take a bite.**_

 ***scene zooms out to show kitchen again***

 _ **As I taste my doughnut, Koujaku, who's already finished eating, stands up. He turns around before going into the hallway and beckons me to come over. Me? When I point to myself, Koujaku nods several times. What is it? I lower my half-eaten doughnut and stand up to go into the hallway with Koujaku.**_

 ***scene shows Koujaku standing in the hallway***

 **"...Phew. Everything got really confusing all of a sudden." Koujaku**

 _ **I guess he wanted to escape the strange atmosphere in the living room(**_ this doesn't make sense... they weren't in the living room.) _ **. He lets out a sigh, maybe because he only feels comfortable away from everyone else.**_

 **"Yeah, that's for sure..." Aoba**

 **"Anyway, about Mizuki. Did you contact or meet with him at all?"**

 **"Yeah, I called him. He said he was fine, but... I felt like he wasn't as energetic as before."**

"You guys don't have to worry about me." Mizuki told them.

"Can't help it. You're our friend." Aoba responded.

"And friends look out for each other." Koujaku added.

Mizuki gave them both a smile, glad to have them as friends. Though he was sure there worry wasn't necessary.

 **"Really...?"**

 **"Did something happen to Mizuki?"**

 **"Well, I told you that Mizuki was acting strange, didn't I? Around then, members of my team and members of Dry Juice had some trouble. Mizuki was also there. Hasn't he always tried to negotiate these things out before? For some reason, he seemed kind of absentminded and kept spacing out, and he just watched the fight without trying to stop it. In the end I had to stop it instead. I thought Mizuki looked strange, and asked if he was all right. When I did, he gave me this "Leave me alone!" glare."**

 **"Mizuki did?"**

 **"Yeah. He didn't look like his usual self, seemed like he was brooding over something."**

 **"..."**

 **"Aoba, can't you remember anything? Has he been having any trouble recently?"**

 **"...Earlier, when I was at Mizuki's shop, we did talk about the mysterious diappearances."**

 **"Ah. The rumors about entire Rib teams disappearing, right."**

 **"I think he really was worried about that."**

 **"I've definitely heard that there are teams that have disappeared, but..."**

"You have the biggest team on the island. If you guys can't handle this problem, then nobody else can." One of the Beni-Shigure members stated.

"He has a point." Koujaku pointed out.

"... Maybe you're right." Mizuki said.

"Am I ever not right?" Koujaku asked.

"Yes." Both Mizuki and Aoba responded. Koujaku pouted a bit at that.

 **"Morphine! Morphine!" Usagi***

 **"!" Aoba**

 **"Ah!?" Koujaku**

 _ **Both Koujaku and I are surprised when we suddenly hear a high pitched voice. Something right behind my back falls on the floor.**_

 ***screen shows a bunny cube***

 **"That thing... It's his!"**

 _ **What rolls on the floor is one of the cubes that rabbit headed man had attached to his waist. Was it in the hood of my jacket...!? The cube hops back towards the living room.**_

 **"That guy...!" Aoba**

 **"...!" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku chases after the cube into the living room.**_

 ***screen shows living room***

 **"Hey, you little shit. You were eavesdropping just now, weren't you?" Koujaku**

"So what if I was? What are you going to do about it?" Noiz asked.

"You damn brat!" Koujaku snapped back, glaring at him. He started to rise to punch his smug face, but Aoba's hand on his arm stopped him.

 ***screen shows Noiz***

 **"It's not like it was something worth going to the trouble of asking about." Noiz**

 **"Bastard..." Koujaku**

 **"Like the mysterious disappearances. Rib's not trendy anymore these days, so doesn't it feel like they're just holding some exciting event?" Noiz**

 **"What'd you say?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku's voice shows clear anger.**_

 **"Hey, it's not a joking matter. There really are teams that haven't returned." Koujaku**

 **"I dunno. Doesn't it only mean it's better to stop doing Rib if you're scared?" Noiz**

 **"You bastard..." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku becomes angry and the man looks back at him even more coldly.**_

 **"You, what's your name?" Koujaku**

 **"It's good manners to give your own name first." Noiz**

 **"An asshole like you probably doesn't even have any manners, why should I have to?" Koujaku**

 **"Then don't ask." Noiz**

 **"Wait a minute. This doesn't need to get ugly. He's Koujaku. and you?" Aoba**

 **"...Noiz."**

 ***screen shos Noiz's stats***

"What kind of name is Noiz?" Mizuki asked.

"...It's a nickname... And no I'm not going to tell you my real one." Noiz added the second part when he could tell the guy was going to ask. He only reluctantly answered the question in the first place because he didn't want people bothering him about it.

 **"No one like little shits like you." Koujaku**

 **"I don't really care if you like me or not." Noiz**

 **"Son of a bitch..." Koujaku**

 **"That's enough." Tae**

 _ **Granny, who'd remained silent until now, suddenly cuts off all hostility between the two with a single sentence.**_

 **"If you're going to fight, do it elsewhere. You're so noisy I can't stand it." Tae**

 **"...Sorry, Tae-san." Koujaku**

 **"..." Noiz**

 _ **Glancing at the apologizing Koujaku, Noiz stands up in silence.**_

 **"Hey, where are you going?" Aoba**

 **"Home." Noiz**

 _ **As soon as he mutters that he leaves the living room.**_

 **"And the rest of you, if you've finished eating, go back home." Tae**

 _ **Clear rises to Granny's voice and bows.**_

 **"It was delicious. Well then, Master, goodbye."**

 **"Ah, wait a sec." Aoba**

 _ **Clear exits the living room into the hallway as I chase after him.**_

 ***screen shows Clear standing in hallway***

 **"Yes, what is it?"**

 **"Whether we meet again or not... If there's a second time, come in normally."**

 **"Normally?"**

 **"Don't fall from the sky or come in through the veranda, normally people come in through the front door."**

"Yes, please don't fall from the sky or come in through the veranda." Aoba agreed with his on-screen self.

"Does that upset you, Master?" Clear asked.

"...Yes...?"

"Then I won't do it again. I promise."

"...Good.."

 **"Why can't I come from the sky or the veranda?"**

 **"It's just weird, okay? And startling. It's bad for the heart."**

 **"Bad for the heart... I see. I understand."**

 _ **Clear raises his hand with "Yes!", and then puts it to his chest.**_

 **"It's about the heart here, right?"**

 **"Ah... Well yeah, but..."**

 **"When I'm with Master, I learn a lot. Thank you very much."**

 **"...Really."**

 **"Until next time."**

 **"Yeah..."**

 _ **Bowing once again, Clear leaves from the entryway.**_

 ***shows Koujaku in screen***

 **"What's up with that gas mask guy..." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku returns to the hallway from the living room, muttering about Clear.**_

 **"I don't know..." Aoba**

 **"He's not someone you know?"**

 **"Someone I know, well... I don't think so. I don't really know him."**

 **"Hey, hey, keep it together."**

 _ **Koujaku looks amazed. But unexpectdly, he rubs his neck with one hand as if he's embarrassed.**_

 **"I'm sorry about earlier. I just kind of snapped. It would be nice if you could tell Tae-san too."**

"You don't have to keep apologizing.. Just once is enough." Aoba told him. He himself only apologized once. Unless it was to someone he cared about. Then he may apologize a few times, depending on what he did.

"I'll keep that in mind." Koujaku responded.

 **"You apologized earlier, I think it's fine."**

 **"And I'm sorry for going nuts like that in your room..."**

 **"Ah, well, it's over already. It's been a while since I've seen you so angry, though."**

 **"I'm not good with guys like that who don't know how to compromise."**

 _ **Koujaku sighs with a defeated expression.**_

 **"I remembered it just now, but... isn't he in a Rhyme team?"**

"There are teams in Rhyme?" Aoba asked.

"Of course there are." Noiz responded, giving Aoba a look that implied he was an idiot.

"Any type of game could have a team formed for it." Ren told his owner, stopping Aoba from responding to Noiz.

"I see.." Aoba muttered, petting Ren lightly.

 **"Rhyme team?"**

 ***screen shows Ruff Rabbit tag***

 **"Yeah. I think it was named "Ruff Rabbit". Before, when our team and members of another team had a fight, I remember seeing him there. He seemed to know I was doing Rib too, so I guess I'm right. The more I think about it, the worse it makes me feel."**

 ***screen goes back to the way it was***

 **"So Rhyme has teams too. I didn't know that."**

 **"I think they only started forming teams recently. They're probably doing it to gather information more easily. It just bothers me."**

 _ **In Rib there are lots of guys who think that being teammates equals being family, but Rhyme might be different in that aspect. Dry and efficient. Just by looking at Noiz it's clear enough.**_

 **"Well, putting that guy aside, I'll make it so I can help out Mizuki too. If you know anything, give me a call."**

 **"Okay."**

 **"See ya."**

 _ **Koujaku raises one hand and walks out the front door.**_

 **"...Whew."**

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **After seeing Koujaku off, I return to my room feeling a little weak. Maybe I'm so tired because of all the things that happened today. Oh, right, I forgot to tell Koujaku that it was Noiz who had pulled me in the Rhyme... But if I tell him, the next time he sees Noiz he'll do nothing but pick a fight.**_

 ***shows Aoba's trashed room***

 _ **Thinking over the day's events, I open the door while a feeling of weaknes washes over me. I already know my room is a disaster, but I can't help thinking about how bad it is...**_

 **"Dammit..."**

 _ **Everything's been crazy lately. I remember Noiz's cocky attitude and a bit of anger perks up.**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **I decide to only pick up things that had fallen on the ground, and afterwards I plop myself down on the bed. I'll clean the rest tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow. I've already had too much excitement for one day. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.**_

"You better clean that mess up tomorrow." Tae warned him.

"I'll be sure to remind him, Tae." Ren told her.

"I can help if you want, Master." Clear added.

Aoba sighed, exasperated.

 ***scene changes to Heibon***

 _ **The next day comes. Because I was so tired from yesterday, I arrived at Heibon just barely in time. Haga-san went out as soon as he opened the shop, so I'm taking care of the shop alone. Only Bonjin-kun and I are in the shop. Since hardly any customers have come, I have lots of free time. I spend the time thinking about yesterday's events. Noiz and Clear. A tresspasser and a weird guy in a gas mask. I don't understand either of them... But when everyone went home and the noisiness vanished from the house, I actually might have felt a little lonely. It's a bit like thinking it's nice to have something lively happen once in a while...**_

 ***phone ringing in background***

 **"Yes, this is Junk Shop Heibon."**

 **"..."**

 **"Hello?"**

 **"..."**

"I wish people would stop doing that..." Aoba muttered.

"Have a lot of people called and just hung up like that, Aoba-kun?" Haga asked, wondering about the type of people that are calling his shop.

"A few have.. It's normally just the normal customers... And the ones who make some remark about my voice..." Aoba told him.

"Be sure to tell me if anything weird happens."

"I will."

 _ **He hangs up without saying anything. What? A prank?**_

 ***bell rings***

 **"Suicide attaaaack!" Kio**

 **"It's a suicide attaaaaack!" Nao**

 **"This place is as lame as always!" Mio**

 _ **The door opens and loud voices echo through the room.**_

 **"You brats again!"**

 **"Ah, it's Aoba!" Kio**

 **"Aobaaa!" Nao**

 **"Looking boring as usual!" Mio**

 _ **Sheeesh, they're always, always so uncute...**_

 **"Oh! Target found!" Kio**

 **"Found!" Nao**

 _ **The evil brats' interest moves from me to Bonjin-kun.**_

 **"C-Cleeeeeeeeeeaning!"**

 _ **Bonjin-kun stops by hitting the brakes to hide behind me. Wait, wait. Doesn't that mean I'll be their new target?**_

 **"Waiiit!" Kio**

 **"Wait, waiiit!" Nao**

 **"Stay put!" Mio**

 **"Ugh, kids, don't hang from me!"**

 ***bell rings***

 _ **As I struggle with the noisy brats, I hear the door open again. I think it's a customer, but...**_

 **"...Noiz!?"**

"What are you doing there, brat?" Koujaku asked, giving the guy a glare.

"Well, it's a store. I would assume to buy something." Noiz responded. Though he thought it might be about joining his team, considering it was brought up earlier in the game.

Koujaku glared at him for another moment, grumbling under his breath, before looking away.

 **"Yo."**

 _ **Wh...Why did he come to the shop!? Noiz approaches me while curiously looking over the shop. The evil brats let go of me and keep their eyes trained on Noiz.**_

 **"Hey, hey! Isn't it weird to have a customer?" Mio**

 **"Customer! A customer came!" Nao**

 **"Right, change of target! Let's charge towards the customer!" Kio**

 **"H-Hey, you kids...!" Aoba**

 _ **Before I can stop them, the brats dash towards Noiz. Crap, he's going to get angry...!**_

"I wouldn't hit a child." Noiz stated, tone slightly annoyed by the insinuation that he would just pick a fight with anybody.

"...Sorry..." Was Aoba's response.

"..Tch..."

 **"Uwhoa!" Kio/Nao**

 _ **I thought he would get angry, but instead he avoids them easily. The advancing Kio and Nao fall forward. And then, Mio...**_

 **"H-Hey! Let me go!" Mio**

 _ **Just before she bumps into him, Noiz catches her and lifts her up like a kitten.**_

 **"Let me go! What're you doing!?"**

 _ **Mio punds on Noiz's chest desperately. Without budging, Noiz silently continues to watch Mio. It's kind of a surreal scene... As I watched, dumfounded, Noiz does something completely unexpected. Wow...He takes Mio's struggling hand, brings his lips close to it, and kisses it.**_

"You can't do something like that!" Aoba exclaimed.

"..It's just a kiss." Noiz responded.

"You can't just kiss people out of nowhere like that! Especially not children!"

"..." Noiz was silent, not understanding what the problem was.

 **"Wha..." Aoba**

 _ **What the hell...!? But Mio's still even more surprised than me. Well, who wouldn't be... Mio trembles madly, her face red like a boiled octopus.**_

 **"Wha, wha, wha-" Mio**

 **"Violent girls aren't cute." Noiz**

 _ **Noiz says something absolutely absurd.**_

 **"Le, le, le..."**

 _ **Mio opens and closes her mouth like a goldfish, then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.**_

 **"Let me go! You sexual harassment piercing guy!"**

That brought some laughter to the guys from Beni-Shigure and Koujaku, but an annoyed look from Aoba quickly made it stop. Though there were a few slight chuckles for another moment or two.

 **"Sexual harassment piercing guy..." Aoba**

 _ **Noiz doesn't really react and just puts Mio on the floor. Mio jumps back from Noiz immediately, and after retreating a safe distance shoves an index finger in his direction.**_

 **"You have so many holes in your face, what're you going to do if blood comes out?" Mio**

 **"What!? Blood!?" Kio**

 **"Blood!?" Nao**

 _ **Kio and Nao, who had been acting injured after falling forwar, stand up when they hear their sister's words. Fortuantely, the older brothers hadn't seen Noiz's performance. That's a relief...**_

 **"What'd you do to Mio!?" Kio**

 **"What'd you doooo!?" Nao**

 **"Nothing much." Noiz**

 **"Stop it, you two!" Mio**

 _ **Mio hurries to stop the two as they draw closer to Noiz. Her face is still bright red.**_

 **"Eh, but..." Kio**

 **"Let's just run away!" Mio**

 **"But we haven't beaten him yet!" Nao**

 **"You don't have to!" Mio**

 _ **While screaming, Mio dashes out of the store. The older brothers chase after her in a hurry... The store suddenly becomes silent. I can hear Bonjin-kun's gears moving faintly, but all I do is stare at Noiz, too surprised to speak.**_

 **"You... what were you doing to that young girl over there?"**

 _ **Noiz gives me a puzzled look.**_

 **"What?"**

 **"Just kissing her hand and stuff... Normally that would put people off."**

 **"I don't think it's that unusual."**

 **"No, nonononono! It is that unusual!...Hm?"**

 _ **Noiz just barges in, puts his hands down, and hangs over the counter. He looks into my eyes...**_

 ***a kiss noise is heard***

 **"!"**

 _ **...And something soft touches my lips...**_

That earned Noiz a few shocked glares.

"You definitely can't do that!" Aoba exclaimed.

"How dare you kiss Aoba!" Koujaku exclaimed, glaring coldly at Noiz. How dare he kiss precious Aoba.

"What's wrong, old man? Mad I did it first?" Noiz asked, taunting Koujaku. He just met these people and he could already tell how the man felt about the blue-haired man just from the way he looked at him. Sure, the guy was cute. But he didn't really see anything to special about him. Except for the fact that he apparently played a huge part in the future. It all remained to be seen.

"You damn brat!" Koujaku once again started to get to his feet, but Aoba once again pulled him back down.

"No fighting." He told him before turning for Noiz. "And you. Don't just suddenly kiss someone like that!"

"...Whatever..." Noiz muttered. He still didn't see what the problem was.

 _ **...**_

 _ **..W-Was that...**_

 **"...Y-Y-You-"**

 **"?What?"**

 **"D-Don't... just say 'What?'! What did you just do!?"**

 **"Didn't I just kiss you?"**

 **"Huh!?"**

 _ **Noiz watches me calmly as I freak out. This guy... Seriously, what's wrong with him!?**_

 **"Normally, guys don't kiss other guys, you know!"**

 **"Really?"**

 **"Wait, so... you play for that team?"**

 **"Huh?"**

 **"..."**

 _ **Noiz is still completely composed, and I don't think I'm wrong about it. Even if it's between guys, if you're like that, of course kissing is a given... No, no, that can't be it. But it doesn't seem like Noiz was trying to mess with me or anything... I need to get myself together. He's weird. Definitely. I'm not the weird on here... I shouldn't be. And there are many guys out there that are into skinship, even if it's not between a man and a woman. So he's that type... probably. I wipe my lips with the back of my hand, and calm down by taking deep breaths.**_

-linebreak-

 **Well, this chapter was meant to be up yesterday, but my game started running with Japanese text so my brain thought it would be a good idea to completely wipe my computer and re-download it. It took forever for it to get up and running and back to where I was.**

 **But on the upside, I finally managed to get ReConnect! Yay!**

 **For the * up by Usagi, what is Noiz's Allmate called. Some stories I've read say it's Usagimodoki and others say it's Midori. So I'm not sure. Someone tell me, please.**

 **If you couldn't tell from the last interaction, I ship Noiz x Aoba. A lot. I think a bit more that Koujaku x Aoba. At the very least, tied for my top spot. And a part of me wants to make Aoba be with both of them. So, I want to know if that would be interesting for the story or not.**

 **Please review and let me know what you guys think of the chapter and if you could answer the above questions.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL**

 **Vanilla Cakes: Since you were a guest review, I'll answer your questions here. This is going to go through all the routes with the KouAoNoi ending. It will also show everything that happens, making it awkward for everbody :D**

 **Interesting: Glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you continue to read along.**

 **memesatan: Thank you for answer the question about Noiz's Allmate. Hope you keep reading**

 **I have to say, I am really happy that everybody who reviewed were down with both Koujaku and Noiz dating Aoba. I think this will make the story interesting. And I don't have to choose between my two favorite pairings.**

-linebreak-

 **"...Anyway, why did you even come here?"**

 _ **Noiz stares at me in a fixed gaze.**_

 **"Join my team."**

 **"Huh?"**

 _ **Where did this come from?**_

 **"Your team... you mean Rhyme?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 ***Choices on screen***

 **-Talk it out**

 **-No way**

Aoba instantly clicked the choice that said 'no way'.

"How many times to I have to say I have no interest in Rhyme?" Aoba asked, exasperated. He was getting annoyed by Noiz's bagering him about it.

"Until you change your mind about it." Noiz responded.

The blue haired man glared at him. "It isn't going to happen. I don't want anything to do with Rhyme or Rib. I just want to be left alone."

".. We'll see." Noiz muttered to himself, still deteremined to at least get a rematch. Even though they haven't even fought yet.

 **"No way."**

 _ **I give a reply right off the bat. Noiz just looks at me.**_

 **"Then I'll keep coming here until you say yes."**

 **"..."**

 _ **What the hell? He's like a little kid.**_

 **"You were really strong at Rhyme when I faced you before. Let's go at it again."**

 **"No I wasn't. You've got the wrong person."**

 **"..."**

 _ **Noiz sinks into silence and just stares at me. He has a sour look on his face, and winces a small bit. What's wrong with him...?**_

 **"...Well, that's not the issue here right now."**

 _ **Noiz takes his gaze off of me and lets out a frustrated sigh.**_

 **"It's in front of your shop today."**

 **"What is?"**

 **"Rhyme."**

"There is no way you could know that.." Mizuki said, not believing that brat would know when Rhyme was going to start.

"Of course I can know that. It's not that hard." Noiz responded. But he didn't go into any details about how. He just pulled up his Coil and focused on that for a while

 **"Rhyme?"**

 **"Usui's going to appear around here today. Our predictions are always on target."**

 _ **I frown, unable to decrypt what's he's going on about. Boisterous noise travels all the way from outside.**_

 **"We're going."**

 **"Eh?"**

 **"Just come."**

 _ **Noiz steps over the counter and grabs my arm.**_

 **"Hey, let me go! The shop..."**

 **"Shut up."**

 _ **His grip on my arm is so firm that I can't shake him off, and I'm just barely able to grab my bag with Ren inside.**_

 ***screen shows in front of Heibon***

"Dragging me off like that when I'm working is definitely not going to make me change my mind." Aoba stated, his tone annoyed. He felt bad for just leaving like that and it hasn't happened yet. He turned to Haga. "Sorry about that..." he apologized.

"It's alright, Aoba-kun. It clearly isn't your fault." Haga assured him. He was sure that if he wasn't watching it happen, he'd end up annoyed with the boy for leaving suddenly. But even then he knew he wouldn't stay mad at him for to long. He was such a good kid, it was hard to stay mad at him.

At Haga's words, Aoba shot Noiz another glare. But the blond ignored it, glancing between the screen and his Coil.

 _ **When I go outside the shop, I see a sweltering back alley that no one ever goes through. A crowd of people head inside. Both Noiz and I head that way as well.**_

 ***screen shows alley***

 **"It's around here."**

 _ **When we enter the grim alleyway, Noiz stands still.**_

 ***bunny cube shown on screen***

 _ **And before I had noticed, there was a Bunny Cube in his hand.**_

"Is that your Allmate? It's surprisingly cute." Aoba remarked.

"Yes, it is. Why is that so surprising?" Noiz asked, glancing at Aoba.

".. It doesn't really fit in with your image... So, what's it's name?" He asked.

"...Usagimodoki..." Noiz contemplating not answering, but Aoba's questioning face was slightly cute, so he figured why not.

"Your Allmate's name is 'Fake Rabbit'?" Koujaku asked, confused.

"Yes."

"Because it looks like a rabbit, but isn't one. Use your brain, old man."

"You brat!" A hand on his arm stopped Koujaku from going to punch the blond.

"That's not a very nice name.. Can't you give it a better name?" Aoba asked.

"It's name doesn't bother me. But, if it bothers you so much, what would you name it?" As Noiz spoke, he pulled the cube in question out of his pocket and activated it. It let out a happy "P!" as it started bouncing around.

Aoba watched it for a moment, thinking. He looked between the cube and Noiz. "How about... Midori?" He asked.

The cube repeated the name a few times as it bounced around the room, ending up back at Noiz. The blond didn't react to it, not even when it bounced off his head a few times. Just calmly reached up and grabbed it, forcing it to stay down in his lap.

"Fine.. I don't care." he agreed to the name. It didn't really matter to him what it was called. It was just a machine. But his agreement got him a happy smile from Aoba, so that was a plus. It was way better than the glaring he got earlier. But even that didn't seem very threatening. It looked more like he was pouting a bit than glaring. At least, to him.

 **"Is that your Allmate?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 _ **It's weird for him to have such a cute one...**_

 **"It'll start soon."**

 _ **A dim light starts to shine shortly enough.**_

 ***shows Usui's appearance then back to the alley***

 _ **A ring of light appears in the empty space, and Usui shows from its ankles up. The surrounding participants raise their voices in excitement, and even more people come when they hear them.**_

"Looks like I was right." Noiz stated, giving Mizuki a look. The other man glared at him, grumbling slightly to himself. Sei lightly patted the other on the knee to console him.

 **"Just like I said."**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"Go up and take a look."**

 **"I said I never liked this in the first place."**

 **"Even just this much?"**

 _ **Noiz slightly raises his eyebrows. And then, behind me, my bag is being pulled down on by something on it. What was pulling on the strap was...the Bunny Cube. When did it get there...!?**_

"The cube is very sneaky." Clear commented.

"Yes. It is. That's why I have it." Noiz responded.

"Why would you need it to be like that?" Clear asked.

"..." Noiz didn't respond. Just gave a small smirk.

 **"You...!"**

 **"What will you do now?"**

 _ **The audience crowds together, and I hold tightly to my bag; there's no way to escape anymore.**_

 **"..."**

 **"P!"**

 _ **At that moment, something glides down to my bag and hits the cube that's pulling down on it. The surrounding crowd is in a commotion-it's complete chaos.**_

 ***shows Koujaku***

 **"Yo."**

 _ **The one who picks my bag up is Koujaku. So the thing that hit Noiz's cube must've been Beni. The Beni-Shigure members are here too.**_

"There we are!" Kou exclaimed, happy the team was finally being shown. That meant that they would be able back Koujaku up if it came to a fight with this guy. And by the looks of it, it probably would.

Koujaku gave the team a happy smile, glad to see them. Though he was hoping things wouldn't come to a fight, he had his doubts since the brat was there.

 **"Koujaku..."**

 **"Aoba, how are you today? Still on delivery duty?"**

 _ **While saying that, Koujaku shoots a leering look Noiz's way.**_

 **"Why are you here?" Koujaku**

 **"I have no reason to tell you." Noiz**

 **"Rhyme, huh?" Koujaku**

 **"I have the same question. Why are you here, anyway? Braindead Rib players like you would die in an instant in Rhyme." Noiz**

 **"Whaddya' say!?" Kou**

 **"Stop that." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku holds back his overexcited teammate.**_

 **"Don't act like a little brat here. You're going too far." Koujaku**

 **"But he is a brat." Noiz**

 **"Don't get carried away." Koujaku**

 **"Whatever." Noiz**

 **"Just talking to you makes me hate Rhyme even more." Koujaku**

 **"Go ahead. No one cares about Rib anymore." Noiz**

Mizuki looked a little down at that.

"Of course people still care about Rib." Sei told him. "Just because some guys wants to play Rhyme, doesn't mean all of them will abandon Rib."

"...Are you sure?" Mizuki asked, looking at the other.

"I am completely sure. Trust me on that."

".. I will. Thanks, Sei." Mizuki gave the guy a smile. The smile he got in return made his heart skip a beat and he quickly looked away, sure that he was blushing.

 _ **...This somewho took a turn for the worst. Their serious attitude spills into the crowd, and both Koujaku and Noiz's teammembers begin to crowd together. Rib vs Rhyme. They stand across and scowl at each other, their patience almost drained dry.**_

 **"Hey, you two need to..." Aoba**

 **"You know, your whole muscle and pride thing has been outdated for a while now." Noiz**

 **"Fighting in your head isn't anything special. It's just your way of escaping the real world." Koujaku**

 **"It's hard to get through the head of someone with no brain. No reason to keep on talking." Noiz**

 **"Hey..." Aoba**

 **"I don't want to hear that from some bean sprout with a big head." Koujaku**

 **"I'm not a bean sprout." Noiz**

 **"Is that so? You look enough like one to me." Koujaku**

 _ **He's using that tone... Like when he came into my room and we began to argue. Noiz keeps his mouth shut, and Koujaku silently stares.**_

 **"Aren't you 'Ruff Rabbit' Mujina's Rhymer team? Looks like you made it all the way over here. You predict when and where Rhyme starts; are you happy with the small pennies you make out of that?" Koujaku**

"Small pennies? I make more in a day than you could in a month." Noiz stated.

"Doubtful. How many people would pay for a stupid game." Koujaku snapped back.

"A lot of people do. I can make thousands of yen from a single match of Rhyme."

Koujaku opened and closed his mouth a few times, not sure what to say to that. He was sure the brat was lying. But he couldn't really prove it. There was no way people would pay that much for the information. No way. He eventually settled for glaring at the other before turning back to the screen.

 **"It's business. There's a lot of people around here that want that sort of information. So we arrange a few things. We use our heads for different reasons than you." Noiz**

 _ **Noiz and Koujaku glare at each other with a silent intensity.**_

 **"Looks like I'll just have to kick your ass in one shot." KOujaku**

 ***screen splits half showing Koujaku's face, the other showing Noiz***

 **"You're full of shit, but I'll let you eat those words. I'll beat you to a pulp." Noiz**

 ***shows Beni-Shigure and Ruff Rabbit facing off***

 _ **The surrounding Ribsteez and Rhymers let out booming war cries. Before I knew it, I was able to see the Rhymers collected around Usui watch two people fighting. But more people began to turn our way. More and more. What's going to happen next...?**_

 **"I'll make sure that you can't open your mouth to make cheeky comments ever again." Koujaku**

 **"Yeah, right." Noiz**

 _ **Koujaku keeps firing provocations at Noiz, who is just taking them with a small smirk; he tilts his head and snorts.**_

 ***choice shows on screen***

 **-Call out to Koujaku**

 **-Call out to Noiz**

Aoba clicks the choice 'call out to Koujaku'.

"Why me?" Koujaku asked.

"Because I know you. And I would hope you would listen to me when I ask you not to start a fight." Aoba responded.

Koujaku looked at his lap, already able to tell that he wasn't going to back down from this fight. He would have to make it up to Aoba later. He didn't like when the other was mad at him.

Noiz was smirking to himself as Aoba was talking to Koujaku. He'd start a fight with the old man if it meant getting the blue haired man mad at him. He was adorable when he was angry.

 **"Hey, Koujaku! What are you thinking!?" Aoba**

 **"Sorry, Aoba. Telling me that now won't stop me, I can't just let them get away."**

 **"Yeah, man!" Kou**

 **"Koujaku-san, let's kick their asses!" Hagima**

 _ **It looks like those two are fighting. And it even looks like they both don't want to miss this chance to be able to.**_

 **"Well then... Here I go!" Koujaku**

 ***shows the crowd watching Rhyme***

 _ **Koujaku and Noiz clash, and both Rib and Rhyme plaers start fighting each other like it's a free-for-all. Since there are no rules, more people join in and it's a giant mess. The large alleyway fills with the sound of screams and roars, and the sound of fighting echos far and wide. I have to at least stop Koujaku and Noiz...! I force my way through to get to them, but a guy from the side swoops down on me.**_

 **"You're on the Rhyme side aren't you!?"**

"If you guys are going to fight, please don't involve me." Aoba said, tone exasperated.

"Sorry, Aoba. I'll make sure you stay out of it." Koujaku responded, giving Noiz a glare.

The blond's response to that was to flip Koujaku off, a smirk on his face.

 **"Whoooa!"**

 _ **He's about to hit me, and he looks like he's in for the kill. I reflecively aim for his defenseless neck and strike it with my hand.**_

 **"Ugh!"**

 _ **His knees buckle in and he falls to the ground. That was a close one... It could've been badk if I wasn't paying attention.**_

 **"Uryah!"**

 _ **And as soon as that came to mind...!**_

 **"!"**

 _ **The man is swinging his arm, with something sharp flying around. I soon realize that he has a knife in his hand.**_

 **"Seriously, that's not fucking funny!"**

 _ **I get both his arms in a hold, and pull them downwards. As he staggers, I shove my knee into his chin.**_

 **"Guh!"**

 _ **He bends backwards and I kick the knife that fell from his hand; then I connect a light kick into his face.**_

 **"Guh."**

 **"Jeez..."**

 _ **I look for Koujaku and Noiz again. They're still battling, not a bit focused on what's going on around them.**_

 **"Koujaku! Noi..."**

 **"You bastards! What're you doing!?" Akushima**

 _ **The booming voice hurts my ears, and all of the fighting suddenly comes to a dead stop. Everyone turns their heads. And then... Once we saw who yelled, we all startied running away as fast as we could. Akushima...! The policemen all pull out their guns.**_

 **"What the hell's all of this noise!? Rhyme!? Rib!? Either way, you'rea ll getting the DEATH PENALTY!"**

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Yoshie asked, concerned.

"It wasn't always so bad. It's gotten a lot worse since that man became an office." Tae said. She remembered a time when the police wasn't completely corrupt. It was a better time then.

 **"Aoba!" Koujaku**

 _ **Against the stampede of people running in the opposite direction, Koujaku heads my way.**_

 **"Where's Noiz?"**

 **"He ran away. We have to go too!"**

 _ **Koujaku grabs my arm and we start running.**_

 **"GET BACK HEEEEEEREEEEE!"**

 ***screen fades black***

 _ **Akushima's loud yells could be heard even as we ran farther away out of the alley.**_

 ***shows different alley***

 _ **Koujaku and I slow down and stop running once we realize that we don't hearr the sound of any people after us anymore. We're both completely out of breath.**_

 **"...We should be fine if we're this far ahead." Aoba**

 **"Yeah."**

 _ **Just to make sure, Koujaku turns around and checks behind us, and then he gives me an apologetic look.**_

 **"...Sorry about this. I came to your place again but ended up just making a racket. I lost my cool... to that little shit back there."**

 _ **Koujaku's expression then turns serious.**_

 **"Aoba. He's the guy who pulled you into that Drive-By Rhyme match, right?"**

 **"..."**

 _ **His exact guess startles me. He came up with it just by looking at my reactions.**_

 **"So you knew already. I didn't think you would've."**

 **"...Sorry."**

 **"No, I'm not trying to put you down. But he's been following you around since that Drive-By, hasn't he? What happened?"**

 **"...What should I say, uh-"**

 _ **There's no reason to hide it now. I decide to tell Koujaku the truth straight out.**_

 **"When he dragged me into Rhyme, I didn't even know what to do. I've never done rhyme before. At the end I sort of blanked out and I don't remember exactly what happened, but... he said that I won."**

 **"You did?"**

 **"Yeah. I don't remember it at all either, and there's no way I could've. But he said that I won."**

 **"So he's following you so he can get some payback, huh. He has no pride, that little shit. In or out of Rhyme, if you lose, you lose. A real man accepts his defeats. And you even blacked out, didn't you? At this point he's just plain harrassing you."**

"It's not harrassment if he likes it." Noiz stated.

"I don't enjoy you constantly bothering me about Rhyme!" Aoba exclaimed.

"So you would like me to bother you about other things? Alright, I can do that."

"You! I didn't say that!"

Noiz smirked slightly to himself. Aoba's face was turning slightly pink with his annoyance. Definitely adorable.

"If you don't leave Aoba alone, I'll bash your face in." Koujaku warned him. He had also noticed the adorable blush forming on Aoba's face. And it annoyed him that it was the brat that put it there.

"I'd like to see you try." Noiz responded.

"What did I just say about fighting!?" Aoba exclaimed.

"I have to ask both of you to stop. You are upsetting Master." Clear chimed in, looking at Aoba in concern. The men in question looked at Clear for a moment before turning back to the screen, though the conversation wasn't over.

 **"I guess..."**

 **"What? Are you worried about something?"**

 **"...When I was in Rhyme, I heard somone's voice."**

 **"What do you mean? Not that guy's?"**

 **"I think it was someone else. It was more like his voice came from my head rather than outside it. And then I started to give instructions to Ren. It was like I just instinctively knew how to fight."**

 **"And you haven't done Rhyme ever, either."**

 **"Yeah. But then why did I give instructions? I don't even know. And that's what bothers me..."**

 _ **I hang my head down because the conversation makes me feel uncomfortable, and Koujaku lightly grabs my shoulder.**_

 **"Don't think to hard about it. That's always been a bad habit of yours. Otherwise Ren tell you, 'Aoba, your thoughts look like they're about to burst out of your head."**

"That was a very good impression, Koujaku." Ren told him. It did indeed sound like something he would say. In fact, he was sure he had said something like that before.

"Glad you think so, Ren." Koujaku said, giving the dog a smile and a pat on the head. He got a wag of the tail in return. Aoba smiled at the two of them, glad they were such good friends.

 **"Okay..."**

 _ **Koujaku's impression of Ren gets me to smile a bit.**_

 **"And being just suddenly dragged into Rhyme might've just confused you. But you can always tell me anything, just so you know."**

 **"Yeah, thank you."**

 **"Because Tae-san always makes the best food."**

 **"Because of that?"**

 **"Haha."**

 _ **I laugh together with Koujaku, and the gloom starts to fade a little bit. You always feel relieved when you talk to somone else. That's right... I'm not the best at it, but it's not good to clam up about things like this. If you do, it becomes something like a sickness.**_

 **"Oh yeah, want to go hit up the guys in Dry Juice?"**

 **"Sure. I'm worried about Mizuki too... Ah!"**

 **"What's wrong?"**

 **"I should be working! Haga-san is out so I have to go watch the store!"**

 **"Hey, hey! Aren't you going to get in trouble?"**

 **"I'll go call him."**

 _ **I call Haga-san on my Coil in a rush.**_

 ***call screen opens, calling Haga***

 **"Hello, you've reached Junk Shop Heibon."**

 **"Haga-san!? I'm so sorry, I...!"**

 **"Oh, Aoba-kun. I was wondering what happened since you weren't at the shop... did something urgent come up?"**

 **"Well, I, uh..."**

 _ **Noiz suddenly showed up to the shop and... he wouldn't understand me even if I said that, anyway. Not knowing how I could possibly explain it to him, I dodge the question and apologize profusely. He sounded a little bitter about it, but he forgave me.**_

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Haga-san.." Aoba told the older man, his tone apologetic. He shot Noiz a quick glare, but it was uneffective as the younger man was once again looking at his Coil screen.

"It's alright, Aoba-kun. I understand it isn't your fault." Haga assured him. He'd probably be more mad if he hadn't known it was Noiz's fault and if Aoba wasn't such a good worker. But he knew the blue haired man was, so he was going to forgive him regardless.

 **"It's okay for today. I'm here."**

 **"I'm so sorry about this...! I'll make sure to pay attention next time!"**

 **"I know you will. Well then, good work. Be safe."**

 **"Good work today!"**

 ***call ends and screen closes***

 **"Haa..."**

 **"Everything okay?"**

 **"I guess..."**

 _ **As much as Haga-san lets me off, I still didn't take care of my responsibilities as an adult... I'll apologize more later...**_

 ***shows Dry Juice hangout***

 _ **Dry Juice's turf is in the... East district. "Yukisagi", where there's tons of alleyways filled with good food.**_

 ***shows alleyway***

 _ **While making ourselves very noticalbe, I start to feel that something is wrong when we get close to their turf. Dry Juice members would always hang around in this area, but there's no one here. Not a single person.**_

Mizuki got really stiff at that. Not even Sei patting his back helped him relax. This did not sound good. He hoped that nothing had happened to his team. If something did, he didn't know what he would do.

 **"It's like a ghost town." Aoba**

 **"Do you think they moved to another place?" Koujaku**

 **"I didn't hear anything about that..." Aoba**

 _ **I feel a horrible premonition. I quicken my pace and hurry on my way.**_

 ***shows different alley***

 _ **I go into the alleyway where they usually hang out. And of course, no one's there either. Koujaku stops and grabs onto my arm as I attempt to hurry through the entrance.**_

 **"...Hey." Koujaku**

 **"What...!?"**

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **I look to the same place Koujaku is, and I freeze up... It's gone.**_

 ***shows Dry Juice tag being painted over black***

"That is not a good sign." Aoba said.

"Yeah. It means another team took them down.. But there isn't any team strong enough to take on one as large as Dry Juice." Koujaku said. Except maybe his own team. But, he knew he would never do that to his friend.

Koujaku's comment got the other's in the room worried. Except for Noiz, who didn't care, and the unnamed man sitting next to him who was watching them all silently.

 _ **The Dry Juice tag art on the wall... It's been painted out pitch black.**_

 **"Why...?" Aoba**

 _ **No way... Were they defeated? But by whom? What team?**_

 ***screen goes black***

 **"Aoba, look at that."**

 ***shows Morphine tags painted on wall***

 _ **On the wall, there's a different picture painted. It's not Dry Juice's.**_

 ***shows Morphine tag***

 _ **Robot-like wings... and a halo around a heart. That tag belongs to...**_

 **"Morphine...!?"**

The tension in the room got a lot worse at that. That definitely wasn't a good sign.

 _ **That can't be... Morphine took out Dry Juice...!?**_

 **"'Mysterious disappearances', my ass..." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku mutters something and my heart skips a beat. Yeah... their 'mysterious disappearances'. I thought they were just an urban legend... No, this might just be a prank or something. Dry Juice is the largest team in Rib. There might've been some people who didn't find it fun anymore, so they might have done this and fled. So they must be trying to blame it on Morphine to get away... That's just as realistic if not more than themm being abducted... Really. Is there really no one left here?**_

 **"...Gh." Aoba**

 ***shows different alley***

 **"Hey! Is anyone here!? Hey!"**

 _ **While running, my shouts echo in the empty space. But no one answers me. Shit...! What's going on...!? I go towards the other alleyway where Mizuki would always be. There would definitely be a bunch of members there with him.**_

 ***shows staircase, covered in Morphine tags and blood***

 **"...!"**

 _ **I enter the other alleyway... I saw it coming, but I still felt disappointed. As I predicted, no one was there. And in the innter part of the alleywa, the tag art of Rib's largest team was, of course, blacked out. What the hell is going on...?**_

"So. Who said Morphine wasn't anything to worry about?" Mizuki asked, his tone both concerned and a bit angry. Nobody answered his question. "If those assholes try to mess with my team, I'll kill them."

"And we'll help." Koujaku told him, giving his friend a reassuring nod. The members of Beni-Shigure were quick to agree.

Mizuki gave them a smile, happy to have some backup for this. These assholes were going down if they tried to mess with him!

 ***shows Mizuki standing in front of staircase***

 _ **Mizuki would always lean on the wall, next to that tag. And whenever I came, he'd greet me with a smile...**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **Feeling as if everything important to me has been torn apart, I turn my head away from the horrible sight.**_

 ***shows staircase***

 _ **But I look right back.**_

 ***moves close to staircase***

 **"Aoba, there's no one on the other side either."**

 _ **Koujaku came running into the alleyway.**_

 **"It's bad here too, huh."**

 **"...Hey, this-"**

 **"What...!? This... blood!?"**

 **"It looks like it."**

 _ **There are skid marks from shoes, and blood is scattered everywhere. It looks fresh. When I take a more careful look, there's evidence of trash being kicked around and fighting.**_

"At least it looks like you put up a fight, Mizuki-san." Clear stated.

"Of course. I wouldn't go down without a fight." Mizuki said, voice having more bravado than he felt. All the signs were pointing to the worst and he didn't like it.

Sei once again laid a hand on his back for reassurance. When the other looked at him, he gave him a small smile, hoping it would make him feel better. When he relaxed slightly, he knew it had.

 _ **The more I look, the more it seems likely. 'Mysterious disappearances.' Morphine's work. Pleaple in Rib would always be fighting one another, but the worst they would do would be to beat up each other and scribble over their tag. This isn't one of those situations. This obviously more than just a petty fight. It looks like the opposing team didn't even think of holding themselves back. They certainly got their message through...**_

 **"..."**

 _ **What... happened here? It should be bustling with Dry Juice members. Everyone got along, and you could forget about your loneliness here. That's why I think people joined. You're not alone here. There'd be numbers of people you'd spend time with. Even if it was temporary, the bonds between the members were as tight as family. For that... to come to this.**_

 **"Shit, I can't get through to Mizuki."**

 _ **Koujaku clicked his tongue while using his Coil.**_

 **"What's going on? What kind of monster went through here? Is this Morphine's work?"**

 **"Mizuki..."**

-linebreak-

 **Oh no! What happened to Mizuki!?**

 **We got some MizuSei in this and a lot of NoiAo.**

 **Next chapter, I think, will get to Aoba's abduction. But I'm not going to make any promises, since I can't remember exactly how far that it from this point.**

 **Please review and let me know what you guys thought of the chapter~ Until next time~**


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL**

-linebreak-

 _ **Reality hits me and I'm completely in shock. I can hear footsteps coming here from both the entrance and the exit at the same time.**_

 **"!" Aoba**

 **"..." Koujaku**

 **"Hey, I was wondering who it was. Fancy meeting you here, Aoba-san."**

 **"Yoohoo, Aoba!"**

Virus's and Trip's appearance earned a few glares at the screen.

"Why are _they_ there?" Koujaku asked, his tone annoyed. He really didn't like those guys. They gave him a bad feeling.

"How should I know? They're probably just doing they're job." Aoba defended. Sure, he didn't know exactly what the two did with the yakuza, but he couldn't think of any reason why they should be there. It was probably just a coincidence that they were there in a place where Mizuki disappeared. Yeah, coincidence. Aoba at the least was convinced.

"It does seem rather suspicious, Aoba." Mizuki agreed. He could tell something seemed off with those guys. But he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt since Aoba said they were his friends.

"I'm sure everything is fine." Aoba retorted, his tone ending the conversation. He didn't want to hear anything else against them.

 **"You guys..."**

 _ **The footsteps coming into the alleyway came from Virus and Trip.**_

 **"Why're you guys here?" Aoba**

 **"We're in charge of the area around here." Virus**

 **"...Yakuza?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku glares at the two of them, murmuring curses under his breath. Koujaku is in Rib, so seeing yakuza walk around like they owned the place isn't a pleasant sight to him.**_

 **"Are you guys twins? You look exactly alike."**

 **"We are not twins."/"We're not twins."**

 **"Aoba, you're with these kind of people?"**

 **"I'm not... They weren't yakuza when I met them anyway. It was when you left the island, Koujaku."**

 **"Yep. You could say that we're old friends." Virus**

 **"Yeah, yeah, nothing to do with out work." Trip**

 **"We're in a pretty violent business, but we're not breaking any rules. We do as much as our common sense allows; it's nice to meet you." Virus**

 **"You're still yakuza. That's not good or bad. From the last bone and to the last drop of their blood, that's what they are and always will be."**

 _ **While Koujaku speaks, he looks at both Virus and Trip. I was a little astonished too, to be honest. Koujaku's tone was so awfully angry and violent. Does Koujaku really hate yakuza to that extent...?**_

"Yes, I do." Koujaku stated. His mind went to his father and his hands clenched into fists. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

"You never explained why though." Aoba said.

"I'll tell you one day, Aoba." Though Koujaku really had no plans of saying anything about it if he didn't have to. He just didn't want the blue haired man to push the issue.

"I'll hold you to that." Aoba made a mental note to talk to his friend about this once this whole thing was over.

 **"Although these are our words, both the yakuza and police have never really changed much on this island. Isn't that right? Aren't you that team's Head? I wonder how many policemen you had to make nice with." Virus**

 **"I'm not trying to say that all policemen are bad. Just that some are rotten in the barrel." Koujaku**

 **"Well, we'd like to thank you. As rotten yakuza." Virus**

 **"Haha!" Trip**

 **"..." Koujaku**

 **"By the way, isn't one of your friends in Dry Juice, Aoba? Have they moved off to somewhere else?" Virus**

 **"We haven't seen any of their members yet." Trip**

 **"They're all... gone." Aoba**

 **"Gone?" Virus**

 **"We only just got here a little while ago, but Dry Juice's tag was painted out, and... Morphine's tag was drawn on it." Aoba**

 **"Morphine..." Virus**

 _ **Virus puts his hand to his lips in deep thought.**_

 **"You mean Morphine, that living fantasy team?" Trip**

 **"Yeah. I was thinking that maybe it was someone trying to frame Morphine for it, though..." Aoba**

 **"All the same, that's quite barbaric. Taking out an entire team in one shot... how vicious." Virus**

 **"..." Koujaku**

 **"Aren't you guys in charge of this area? Do you know anything?" Aoba**

 **"That's true. What we know..." Virus**

 **"It was difficult to make the rounds last night." Trip**

 **"We couldn't find a single Dry Juice member." Virus**

 **"Around what time was that?" Aoba**

 **"Around nine? Didn't it happen later anyway?" Trip**

 **"And they didn't kidnap just one number... but all of them. That isn't such a simple thing to do." Virus**

 **"I know that. So..." Aoba**

 _ **Isn't this exactly like when Morphine just disappeared on the map back then? I want to say that, but all that I mutter to myself stays in my mind.**_

 **"So that's it. Now I understand the situation a bit more. I'll contact you if anything happens on our side." Virus**

 **"Thanks." Aoba**

 **"We're already used to these kinds of dangerous subjects. Be safe, Aoba-san." Virus**

 **"I don't know why the hell we're doing this, but we'll do what we can." Trip**

"At least it seems like they care about you, Aoba-kun." Haga commented. He himself wasn't to sure what to think of the two of them. He'd be able to get a better read on them if they met in person. So he was going to stay neutral for now.

"Yeah. They are always looking out for me." Aoba responded, thinking about how they always seemed to show up when he needed them.

"If they ever did anything to hurt Master I would make them regret it." Clear stated, his head turned in Aoba's direction.

"...That won't be necessary.. Clear..." Aoba's tone was exasperated, but he felt touched that the other seemed to care about him so much.

"If you say so, Master."

 **"You should get your fucking noses out of Rib. What do you think you can do?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku tried to provoke them, but Virus just heightens his eyebrows in amusement.**_

 **"You think we're parasites of this town, don't you? Our goal is to just hold our footing and build up our infulence. Morphine or whatever is fine, but to dirty up our land is a bit of an unpleasant thing to do." Virus**

 **"Tch." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku clicks his tongue at the cheerfully smiling Virus.**_

 **"Well then. WE'll go check out the area and... Hm?" Virus**

 ***sound of footsteps***

 **"Hey, you all over there! What're you up to!?" police officer**

 _ **We were exposed and policement started to run after us in hordes. Theyre the ones who patrol this area.**_

 **"Don't move! If you do, I'll shoot!" policeman**

 _ **The policemen all point their guns at the same time.**_

 **"Well, we're in trouble." Koujaku**

 **"Oh my, they're even more noisy today than ever. They're so full of energy." Virus**

 **"Isn't this where we split up?" Trip**

 **"We're not too good at that either. Please escape, Aoba-san." Virus**

 **"Got it." Aoba**

 **"We'll all run in like a kamikaze attack. Then feel free to split up. Run on my signal." Trip "One, two...three!"**

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **Trip gives the signal, and we all start running.**_

 ***shows alley***

 **"You fuckers!" Policeman**

 ***sound of gunfire***

 _ **The policemen start firing. But they never found the effort to train every day, so not a bullet even scratched us.**_

 **"All-" Virus**

 **"-Right!" Trip**

 **"Whoa!? Y-You!" policeman**

 _ **Trip and Virus jump onto a policeman, and they all fall like dominos.**_

 **"Wee you later then, Aoba-san!" Virus**

 **"Bye bye!" Trip**

"See, Koujaku-chan. How bad can they be if they help you and Aoba-chan out." Yoshie said, pleased they got out of the situation. She didn't like the yakuza much, but those young men were rather handsome and they did help out. So in her mind, they couldn't be that bad.

"..." Koujaku grumbled to himself for a moment, until Aoba elbowed him in the side. He forced himself to give the woman a smile through his annoyance and turned back to the screen.

 **"Thanks!" Aoba**

 **"Let's go, Aoba!" Koujaku**

 **"B-Bastards... Stay right there!" policeman**

 _ **Virus and Trip go to the right, and Koujaku and I run to the left as fast as we can.**_

 ***scene changes to Aoyagi street***

 _ **Behind us I could hear the sound of gunshots and angry yelling, but as we ran from Yukisagi to Aoyagi I couldn't hear anything at all.**_

 **"Ha... Haah, hah." Aoba**

 **"Haa... We're having an awfully bad day." Koujaku**

 _ **We really are... I catch my breath and close my eyes, and my vision slowly becomes clearer.**_

 ***flashback back to the stairs with Morphine's tag***

 _ **The Dry Juice tag painted out in black. The bloodstains scattered everywhere. Where did Mizuki go? I wonder if he's okay. Who did this? Maybe another team held a grudge against Dry Juice or something... Maybe it was... Morphine?**_

 ***end flashback***

 **"What the hell's going on?" Aoba**

 **"Aoba..."**

 _ **A few moment pass and I boil over in vivid anger. No matter the reason, this is unforgivable. Going around doing things like this...**_

 **"I'm definitely going to find the guys who did this." Aoba**

 **"That's right. I'll go ask my team members if they saw anything.**

 **"I'm counting on you."**

"We won't let you down, Aoba-san, Koujaku-san!" Kou exclaimed. The other members of Beni-Shigure were quick to agree.

"Thank you. All of you." Aoba said, giving them a smile.

Koujaku also gave them a big grin. He was proud of his team and he knew if they worked together, they'd be able to find who took Mizuki no problem.

 _ **I don't know who or what Morphine is, but they've got to be criminals. If Mizuki and the others are hurt when I catch Morphine... I won't go easy on them. I'll never forgive them for this.**_

 _ **Koujaku leaves to go see his other team members, and I head over to Mizuki's shop.**_

 ***beep is heard***

 _ **Hm? A message.**_

 ***Coil screen pulls up, showing new message from 'Captive Princesss'***

 **"...Spam?"**

 _ **The subject says "Please save me." The sender is "Captive Princess."... Captive Princess? I could've sworn I got a spam message earlier with the same name. Huh, it's the exact same thing again.**_

"That is the message you had gotten before when you recieved that game application." Ren informed.

"Wha? Really?" Aoba asked, looking down at the Allmate.

"Yes. I remember it."

"I see..." Aoba wasn't sure what to think of that.

 ***message is deleted and screen closes***

 **"And, delete."**

 ***beep is heard***

 _ **Hm? Another message.**_

 ***screen is opened, showing same message***

 **"...Huh?"**

 _ **The same thing came again. I quickly delete it.**_

 ***more of the same message appears***

 **"...Huh?"**

 ***more messages***

 **"Eh? Wait..."**

 ***more messages***

"Looks like someone really wants to contact you." Sei commented. He had a very small smirk on his face, amused by the number of messages. But, if that's what it took to get through to his brother, then so be it.

"What do you know about this?" Mizuki asked, looking at the other.

"What makes you think I would know anything about it?" Sei asked in return, an innocent look on his face. Mizuki looked at him for another moment, examining him. But, after finding nothing odd about his expression, he turned back tot he screen.

 _ **This looks bad... They just keep coming. What the hell?**_

 ***more messages***

 _ **Confused, I open my bag and start Ren up.**_

 **"Aoba."**

 **"Ren, these messages look like bad news. What virus is it?"**

 **"Wait a moment. I'm investigating now."**

 _ **Saying that, Ren goes silent. I wait impatiently as the messages keep coming in the whole time.**_

 **"Ren, are you done yet?"**

 **"Analysis completed. There is no virus. And if it is indeed and actual virus, it's had counter-measures installed."**

 **"So you're saying it's impossible for you to stop these messages from coming in?"**

 **"The sender's address is unidentified."**

 **"The hell, are you serious!?"**

 **"It would be better to check the contents."**

 **"Is it gonna be all right...?"**

 _ **But I have a feeling these messages will never leave me alone. Even my ringtone is starting to tick me off...**_

 **"I got it, jeez! If you want me to, I'll look already!"**

 ***Message is opened***

 _ **In an act of desperation, I tap the subject...Huh? They stopped did I do?I feel uneasy, but read the text inside. There's nothing written. So was it really just spam after all...? My Coil rings again. But this time it isn't a message.**_

 **"It's a game being transmitted."**

"It is just as I said." Ren stated.

"Yeah, you were right." Aoba agreed, scratching between Ren's ears. The Allmate happily wagged his tail in response, enjoying Aoba's attention.

 **"A game being transmitted... Oh."**

 ***downloading screen opens***

 _ **Now that I think about it, there was that beta going on for that game before. This must be the next phase.**_

 ***game opens***

 _ **When it finishes downlaoding, the Title Screen shows up on the monitor. It's the same title as last time.**_

 **"...Hm?"**

 _ **I'm ready to play, but these's no start button. How do you start this?**_

 ***game starts***

 _ **A few moments later, the screen changes and the game suddenly starts up. Even when I try to work the controls on my Coil, nothing moves.**_

 **"Ren, it's not working."**

 **"Isn't it a demo?"**

 **"A demo? What's the point of sending that out?"**

 _ **I keep trying to press the control keys, and the protagonist starts to move. Did I get it to work? Right as I think I did, I don't touch the controls but the character continues to move on its own.**_

 ***game plays, shows Granny character getting kidnapped***

"Well, that can't be good..." Aoba said, noticing how much that character had looked like Tae.

"Looks like it's some kind of warning." Noiz commented.

"Do you think so?" Aoba asked, turning to the blond.

"Don't listen to him, Aoba. What does he know about it?" Koujaku stated, giving the blond a glare for upsetting Aoba.

"More than you, old man." That earned him a glare from the Beni-Shigure members as well. But he ignored all of them, his focus on Aoba.

"Don't fight.. Either of you.." Aoba said, turning back to the game. He hoped Noiz was wrong about it being a warning. He didn't know what he would do if something happened to Tae.

 **"...What is this?"**

 _ **The game looks like it's only half done. So it really was just a demo. What's the point in sending this? Did they make a mistake? I don't get what it's about either...**_

 **"It looks exactly like one of those 'deep' games."**

 **"I see."**

 **"All those messages earlier were like spam too. A total waste of time. Let's just go home."**

 ***game closes***

 _ **I exit out of the game and Ren and I start to walk.**_

 ***shows different street***

 _ **As evening approaches, a light delicious smell begins to float through the streets. So it's dinner time. That reminds me, I wonder if Granny's home?**_

 ***flashes to show Tae in the kitchen***

 _ **Around this time of day, from time to time I go out with some people. Granny...**_

 ***goes back to the street***

 **"..."**

 _ **...I wonder what it is. Ever since I played that game, I've had a bad feeling that won't go away. In that game, Granny was stolen away by some black bats.**_

 _ **... Why did that game get sent at such a weird time? Was it by accident?...**_

 ***call screen opens, calling Granny***

 _ **Just thinking about it makes my chest hurt, so I try to call Granny from my Coil.**_

"You don't need to worry so much about me. I'll be fine." Tae stated.

"That's what we all said about Mizuki and something clearly happened to him!" Aoba responded, definitely worried now.

"..." Tae had no response to that. She knew she wouldn't go down easily, but Mizuki was a young, strong fighter. As was his entire team and someone managed to take them out. She didn't show any of her concern on her face though.

 ***screen closes***

 _ **...It isn't going through. I'll try the home phone.**_

 ***screen opens, calling Home***

 _ **She's not picking up.**_

 ***screen closes***

 _ **I'll try Granny's Coil one more time.**_

 ***screen opens, calling Granny***

 _ **... She isn't picking up. But she never really used her Coil from the start. Instead of sending me a message, she'd leave a letter by the entryway. That's why she might've gone out knowing that I probably was out with some people. Probably.**_

 ***screen closes***

 _ **Definitely...**_

 ***flashes back to staircase for a second***

 **"...Damn it!"**

 _ **I try hard not to worry, but I keep thinking about the bloodstains scattered everywhere at the Dry Juice hangout. I think that's what's gotten me so nervous today. I'm thinkingn too much about not being able to reach Granny. But... I can't do this. I'm going home. I'll feel better when I get home and see Granny safe and sound.**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **I make up my mind, and run full-speed back home.**_

 **"Ha... Haa, ha."**

 ***shows house then entryway***

 **"Granny!"**

 _ **I unlock the door in a frenzy and jump into the house to find it pitch black. The lights aren't on. And it doesn't look like anyone's here. Granny... are you here?**_

 **"Granny?"**

 _ **I call for her one more time, but no one answers... This is bad. It feels like I'm losing blood, I feel hot and cold at the same time. The bloodstains on the walls of the Dry Juice hangout. The granny character that was kidnapped by black bats. Both of those images flicker in my head. What do I do? If Granny was...**_

 **"Granny!"**

There were definite looks of concern by that point by most of the people in the room. The only people's who's expression's haven't changed was the silent man by Noiz, Noiz himself, and Clear. Though Clear's face couldn't be seen. How tense he was sitting was making his worry obvious though.

 _ **I need to search for her. I run up the hallway, not even thinking of taking off my shoes.**_

 **"-!? Whoa!"**

 _ **I suddenly tripped over something. What? What would be so huge that... What... A person?... A person is lying in the hallway. Could it be... Granny? The person is lying face down and isn't moving. I quiver and catch my breath, and timidly get closer to them so I can see. The body is huge, nothing like Granny. It's probably a guy. I feel a little relieved. But... Who is he?**_

 ***shows Morphine tattoo on man's neck***

 _ **I stare at him, and find a tattoo-looking thing on his neck. This... this is probably tag art. Besides...**_

 **"..."**

 _ **This tag...**_

 **"...Morphine."**

 ***shows entryway***

 **"!"**

 ***shows Mink, his faces shadowed***

 _ **I feel someone's presence and turn around. In the dark hallway, I see a man standing there. He's so large that I have to look upwards, and his intimidating stature makes me unable to move a muscle. But the fear of him having done something to Granny is what scared me the most.**_

 **"...Where's Granny?"**

 **"..."**

 _ **He doesn't answer. He stares at me with his cool eyes through the darkness.**_

 **"I said where is she...!?"**

 _ **When I draw closer to him, someone grabs my shoulders from behind. And it wasn't just one person. A bunch of people grab and hold me down.**_

 **"Let me go! Fucking- Let go...!" *sound of punch* "...Argh."**

 _ **Something heavy slams into my stomach, and I stop breathing.**_

 ***shows Mink***

Koujaku was the first to notice that was the other guy in the room. It took him a few seconds to realize who he was as well. He stood and pointed a finger at the guy, bringing everybody's attention to him.

"You. You're the leader of Scratch, aren't you?" He asked, already sure of the answer.

"Yeah." Mink responded, not even fazed by everybody looking at him.

"Scratch? The criminal Rib team?" Aoba asked.

"That's right." Mizuki responded.

Aoba was instantly concerned about why the man was in his house.

"What did you do to Granny!?" he exclaimed.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie!"

"Not lying. Given Morphine's presense in your home, it is very obvious they are the ones responsible. Besides, you should be more worried for youself." Mink already knew why he himself was there. But he didn't know what happened to the old lady.

"What does that mean!?" Aoba didn't recieve a response to his question. Glaring for another moment, he pulled Koujaku back into his seat before continuing.

 **"..." Mink**

 **"...Ngh." Aoba**

 _ **The giant man's fists that look like clumps of shadow sink into my gut. I start to fall forward. I can't breathe. My vision starts to fade into darkness.**_

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **Damn it... Not here... Granny... Granny...**_

"What are you doing to Aoba!?" Koujaku exclaimed, about to jump up again.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Mink asked, his tone monotone.

"If you do anything to hurt Master I will make you regret it." Clear stated, his hands balled into fists and his tone going slightly colder.

"You should be more concerned about whether or not he can defend himself." Mink stated.

He got more glares from the people in the room, but he didn't react to them. Aoba sighed and continued, wanting to know what the man meant and what happened to Granny

-linebreak-

 **Another chapter done. Next chapter is going to be shorter and contain Scratch's attempted rape on Aoba. May take some time since I want to get their reactions right.**

 **Review and let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. Until next time~**


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own Dramtical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL.**

 **This chapter contains attemped rape. Don't read if it bothers you.**

 **See bottom for important AN. Please read.**

-linebreak-

 ***shows Scratch headquarters, shaded in darkness***

 **"...Ugh."**

 _ **... My head hurts...**_

 _ **...I... Did I black out...?**_

 ***darkness fades out, showing full room***

 _ **I open my eyes, and all I can see ar fuzzy shades of black. I can't tell left from right. I hear the sound of water dripping. Is it raining? I feel the cold concrete on my cheek.**_

 _ **Anyway, where am I...? I try to stand up, but it's hard to move. I can't seem to move my body.**_

 **"...!?"**

 _ **Something makes a squeaking noise on my arms. Something's binding them. I pathetically try to raise my head as I lie face down on the ground... And then I freeze inplace.**_

 ***shows Mink's boots***

 _ **I can see shoes that look like they have claws on them.**_

"I don't see any claws on them." Clear stated, examing the image.

"... I think it's just an expression..." Aoba responded, not knowing what to say to that.

 _ **Slowly, I look upwards to see what's above them.**_

 ***moves up a little, stopping just before Mink's head***

 **"..."**

 ***goes the rest of the way up***

 _ **That intimidating look... It's probably that giant man. He just watlzed into my home, and then he punched me in the gut... He looks at me and puts his pipe to his mouth. He breathes out a puff of smoke from his pipe and it floats through the air.**_

 _ **...Yeah. I remember. He took Granny...!**_

"I did nothing to your Grandmother." Mink said again.

A few people in the room gave him a look that said they clearly didn't believe him. But, he didn't care if they did. It would be revealed soon enough.

 **"...Where's Granny?"**

 **"..."**

 **"What did you do with her? Answer me!"**

 _ **I'm so angry I feel like I'm about to explode, and I quietly let out a growl.**_

 ***goes back to the room***

 _ **The man just watches me silently and then stands up from the sofa. As I wonder what he will do next, he looms over me and pulls me up by my bangs.**_

Aoba winced at that. It was not something he wanted to happen. He could already feel the pain from it. "Is that really necessary!?" he asked.

"..." No response came from Mink.

 ***goes black for a second before showing Mink***

 **"! Ouch...!"**

 _ **An intense pain runs through my hair and causes my expression to warp.**_

 **"..."**

 _ **He ignores my pain and looks at my face. His eyes... They look like there's no light in them at all.**_

 **"Do you understand the situation you're in?"**

 _ **He pulls my hair to the side and makes me face another direction. I see two filthy men standing there with machine guns in hand.**_

 **"With a snap of my fingers, they'll swarm like bees and it'll be all over for you. It'll only take 5 seconds."**

"You really do need a better sense of self preservation, Aoba." Mizuki commented.

"My sense of self preservation is just fine, Mizuki." Aoba responded.

"I disagree. It seems you always find yourself in trouble without even realizing it." Ren added.

"...Traitor..." Aoba muttered, feeling slight betrayal at Ren for the dog siding with Mizuki. It didn't matter that they might have a point.

 **"..."**

 ***shows the room***

 _ **He takes my silence as understanding and lets go of my hair.**_

 **"...Ow!"**

 _ **With a violent thud, my chin hits the concrete. Ouch... I almost bit my tongue. At any rate, I'm in a real bad situation...**_

 **"Hey."**

 _ **The man calls out to his little henchmen and whispers something to them. They reply and leave. I'm in a serious pinch, and desperately try to think of something. Shit, I have to get these restraints off or else...**_

 ***screen shakes for a second***

 _ **I try rubbing my arms together as hard as I can. I feel them loosen a little, but they're not off just yet. Is there anything by my feet? I check around.**_

 ***shakes again***

 _ **I feel the ground with my feet, but there's nothing there. Shit... I have to do something... While in all sorts of pain everywhere in my body, the sound of many footsteps reverberate on the room's floor. A bunch of men holding machine guns come into the room.**_

 **"Do it."**

"Do what? If you do anything to Aoba I'll kill you." Koujaku stated, his tone angry to make his point.

Mink was unaffected by this. He didn't feel threatened by the other man.

"There will be no violence while you are here." Came the voice that brought them here. The words made Koujaku glare harder at the man.

 _ **The giant man jerks his chin in my direction. What...? What are all these people going to do? I watch one of the men come closer to me, and I prepare myself for the worst. There's nothing I can do. They surround me as I sit there, pitifully unable to escape. Ready for them to beat down on me at any moment, I tense up. Someone starts to pull on my jacket. And another pincs down my legs and arms...**_

 _ **...? What's going on? When I look at their faces, I see they have a bizarre look of excitement. Their breathing becomes erratic and their eyes are boodshot.**_

 **"Make sure to hold him down hard."**

A few people in the room, mostly the younger generation, realized what was about to happen. It sent sent several more glares in Mink's direction. The man in question remained completely unaffected as he has been since the beginning.

 **"..." Aoba**

 _ **...I then understand what the look on their faces mean. Stone cold shivers run down my spine with goosebumps joining them. Hey, this has to be a joke...!**_

 ***screen shakes***

 **"Let me go!" Aoba**

 ***shakes***

 _ **For a second I was able to loosen the grip. LIttle by little my restraints became weaker. Just a little more... Just a little... They're off!**_

 **"...!"**

 _ **I finally freed my arms, but immediately after, someone pinned them down again.**_

 ***shows three men holding Aoba down, zoomed close to his face***

"You can take them in a fight, Master. I believe in you." Clear told him, his tone reassuring. He was one of the people who hadn't realized what was happening. If he did, he'd be a whole lot angrier.

"Thanks...?" Aoba responded, still not entirely sure how to act around this guy.

 **"Hey, what're you doin'? I told you to hold him down."**

 **"L-Let go!"**

 ***goes to Mink***

 _ **I see another group of men come up, as well as the giant man folding his arms while standing on the other side of the room. The giant man was watching me calmly, as if this was only an attraction of sorts.**_

 ***back to Aoba***

 _ **That bastard...**_

 **"Hehe, don't hate us for this."**

 **"We can't go against Mink-san's orders."**

 _ **Mink...? Is that the man's name? It was only for a second, but the men surrounding me shuddered and their careless attitude had faded away.**_

 **"I said, let me go! You're disgusting!"**

 **"Shut the hell up!"**

 ***hit is heard. shows room***

 **"!"**

 _ **I recieve a blow to the side of my face. I can feel the pain and the taste of blood in my mouth.**_

 **"Even if he's a guy, I don't really give a shit."**

 _ **His rugged hand pulls off my shirt and starts feeling up my chest.**_

At this point, everybody else in the room realized what was happening. The glares towards Mink increased tenfold. He didn't show it, but he was slightly unnerved by the glares, especially the one coming from the old lady, Tae.

 **"But this guy, he has fair skin and long hair too. Don't he look like a chick anyway?"**

 **"I guess, but he's still a dude."**

 _ **...That's right, I'm a guy here! You're making me want to throw up! I decide to mess with them; I collect all the blood in my mouth and spit on one of the men closest to me.**_

 **"-! You little shit!"**

 **"Get off! Don't touch me!"**

 ***hit is heard***

 **"Ugh!"**

 _ **I kick the distracted man in the stomach and he falls forward, groaning in pain. Pathetic.**_

Clear made an encouraging noise, happy that the blue haired man was fighting back. Though he was a bit upset that he wasn't there to protect him from the situation. He would have to make sure to stick closer to Master to protect him from this.

 ***hit is heard***

 **"...Erk..."**

 _ **Someone punches me twice as hard as my kick. Shit...**_

 **"Hurry up and pull him down."**

 **"Roger!"**

 ***back to Aoba being pinned down, camera lower on his body***

 **"! Stop- Don't touch me!"**

 _ **One of them violently undoes my belt and unbottons my pants.**_

Aoba looked both disgusted and extremely angry about the situation. He's been in fights with guys bigger than those ones. He should be able to fight back better. Though even he had to admit he was at the disadvantage for having been tied up at the beginning.

 ***camera goes back up to Aoba's head***

 _ **Another hand from the side pulls on my clothes, and pulls up my shirt.**_

 **"...Let go!"**

 **"Shut up. Gag him!"**

 ***shows Aoba gagged***

 **"Nfgh!"**

 _ **They stuff a ball of cloth into my mouth, and the dryness of it makes me fell nauseous. Even if I try to shout, my voice won't come out.**_

 **"Ah, holy shit. I actually got hard."**

"These guys are disgusting.." Aoba muttered, torn between glaring at the screen and Mink.

"You said it. I'm going to kill them for this." Koujaku told him.

"Killing seems a bit extreme. Even if they are an awful excuse of human beings. Just beating them up should be enough, right?" Aoba asked. He didn't like the thought of Koujaku killing people. Sure, these guys were awful and disgusting. But killing them didn't feel right.

"... If that's what you want." Koujaku said after a moment.

 **"Just do it already so I can have my turn."**

 **"I'm next!"**

 _ **They disgustingly babble on as one of them pulls of my pants and underwear.**_

 **"Nmphghhhhh!"**

 ***shows full image, Aoba being pinned down, gagged and no pants on***

 _ **I shake my legs and try to resist, but the entire lower half of my body ends up being exposed.**_

 **"...!"**

 **"Hey now, he really is a guy. Just looking at him makes me go limp."**

 **"Not for me."**

 **"Serious? Anyway, don't you do it from behind or some shit?"**

 **"Isn't it better to do a girl from behind too?"**

 ***heartbeat is heard***

"Isn't that a strange thing to hear, considering the situation?" Yoshie asked.

"If it's Aoba-kun's heartbeat, then it would be understandable, correct?" Haga replied.

"I suppose." Yoshie agreed. She wasn't a doctor, but it seemed reasonable. And a quick glance to Tae, who nodded in agreement, put the problem aside as solved.

 **"Ugh...!"**

 ***camera zooms in on Aoba's face***

 _ **Dry hands go across my thighs and my ass, and then a finger presses into me. A feeling of absolute disgust courses through my entire body and nearly makes me go insane. More than feeling scared or angry... It just feels so disgusting...!**_

 ***heartbeating in the background***

 _ **Why did this have to happen... I was just looking for Granny, that's all... That giant man... This is all because of him...! He's stilll looking at me right now. He's watching them do this to me... Does he think this is fun? Why? Why. Why. Why... Why does this have to happen...!?**_

 ***heartbeats stop and goes to the room***

 **"Looks like he's suddenly calmed down."**

 **"I guess he just gave up."**

 **"Then go ahead already."**

 ***flashes white for a second***

 **"..." aoba***

 **"Hey, is he okay?"**

 **"...?**

 **"Hey... Hey, huh? What..."**

 ***flashes white***

 **"..." aoba***

 **"Wh-What? Somehow..."**

 **"Ahhh..."**

 ***goes black***

 **"Disappear."**

"What was that?" Sei asked, already knowing the answer. He wanted to know how it would be explained and wasn't sure anybody else would ask.

"I have no idea..." Aoba said, glancing around the room hoping someone would answer.

Nobody else in the room had the answer. And nobody noticed Tae's eyes hardening slightly. She knew she was definitely going to have to explain Aoba's powers to him sometime soon.

-linebreak-

 ***At the parts at the end where Aoba is just "...", he's muttering in the background but it's in Japanese. But I think he's saying 'disappear'.**

 **I am sooooo sorry about the delay for this chapter. And I know it isn't my best one. Or the longest one. But I want to put anything that is in any way sexual in it's own chapter. So those ones are going to be a bit shorter.**

 **It really has been a long time since I last updated. But I've recently started working after being unemployed for two months, so I've been busy with that. I am going to work on the chapters whenever I get the chance, but I can't promise an update every week.**

 **A big thank you to all of you who have been patiently waiting for this. And again sorry it's not the best chapter. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays for whatever you celebrate at this time of year and I hope you all have a Happy New Year.**

 **Review and let me know what you guys thought of the chapter~ Until next time~**


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own DRAMAtical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiral**

 **Read bottom for AN**

-linebreak-

 _ **...**_

 _ **... Mn...**_

 _ **... What's that smell...? I've smelled it before somewhere. It was a spice... Herbs? Cinnamon?**_

 ***fades into partly show a room***

 _ **I slowly open my eyes, and I see someone standing some distance away from me. That's... the giant man. What was his name, Mink...? He... What's he doing? He cast his gaze down to the flame of a single lit candle. Is he saying something? I can't hear what it is. I wonder what he's saying... What is... He...**_

 ***fades to black before showing bedroom again***

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 ***veins flash***

 _ **...Ow. Owowow. My head hurts...**_

 **"..."**

 ***zooms into the light bulb***

 _ **The sharp pain forces me awake and I open my eyes to see a worn out ceiling... Where is this? What happened to me...?**_

 ***flashes back to the guys pinning Aoba down before going back***

 _ **... Right. I was about to be raped...**_

This reminder made everybody in the room once again glare at Mink. But the man in question wasn't even slightly fazed by it. He didn't care what these people thought of him. All that mattered was achieving his goal.

 _ **... What happened after that? I'm still wearing all my clothes... At any rate, this room is most likely a different one that before.**_

 ***veins flash***

 **"Owowow..."**

 _ **I have to take my pills... Wait, my bag. Where'd my bag go? Ren was in there too...**_

"You better not do anything to Ren." Aoba muttered, holding the dog protectively in his arms. He didn't know what he would do if something happened to him.

Ren didn't mind the fact that Aoba was holding him slightly tighter than one would hold a dog. He enjoyed the closeness; plus it reassured his owner that he was alright.

 ***sound of door opening***

 **"!"**

 ***shows full room***

 _ **I hear the sound of the door opening, jump up, and forget the pain for a moment. Who is it? Mink?**_

 **"... So you're awake?"**

 _ **A skinny, lanky man peeks through the rusty iron door. When the man sees me, he smiles and then he comes into the room. Who is this guy...?**_

 **"How do you feel? It must've been traumatic to have people suddenly try and rape you. It was because no one can go against Mink. I can't even tell what he's thinking."**

 **"..."**

 _ **The man comes into the room, alone. I glare at him and wave him away with my hand in a panic.**_

 **"I'm not going to do what Mink said, so don't look so afraid, okay?... Aoba's your name, right?"**

 **"! Who are you!?"**

 **"Just like I thought. Aoba, from Junk Shop Heibon, right?"**

"It's a little bit creepy that he knows that." Mizuki commented. Next to him, Sei hummed in agreement. Sure, there was a chance that this information was researched when they were planning their abduction of his brother, but the black-haired man didn't think so. There was definitely something off about this guy and he better stay away from his little brother!

 **"You know about Heibon?"**

 **"Yeah. I used to go there to buy a lot of things a long time ago."**

 _ **He watches for my reaction and gives off a happy smile. In this situation, it's music to my ears to hear the shop's name. Since he was a customer, I almost want to be able to confide in him. But I can't do that. This guy is kind of weird. He's fidgeting, and suspicious on top of that...**_

 **"It's so exciting to be able to meet you here."**

 **"Y-Yeah. Right."**

 **"Really? When I heard you were caught, I thought of something really good. I thought that we should get out of here."**

 **"... Are you serious?"**

 **"Well of course! Isn't it a good idea?"**

 **"But... Aren't Mink's people all around here?"**

 **"It's fine, it's fine. I'll do something about it."**

 **"You'll do something about it... What exactly would you do?"**

 **"I said it'll be fine."**

 **"So then, how?"**

 **"... You just can't stay quiet, can you? I said that it'd be fine, didn't I?"**

 ***sound of a gun being cocked***

"Well that's definitely not good." Koujaku said, worried about Aoba. If only he was there to help protect him.

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out, hippo." Aoba responded. The hippo comment got Koujaku to glare at his friend, but his gaze held a worried tone.

 **"!"**

 _ **Hanging onto me, the man's face suddenly changes and he pulls out a gun. His eyes widen and his mouth curls into a grin.**_

 **"Hey, it'll be fine. I'll get you out of here, so, please let me hear your voice more, okay?"**

 **"My voice...?"**

 **"Yeah. You're the one who always answers for Heibon on the phone. I found your voice so mesmerizing from the first time I heard it, you know? I would always call just so I could hear your voice."**

Haga made a mental note to be the one to answer the phone more often. Sure, they might lose a few sales. But it would be worth it to keep all these creeps away from his favorite *cough-only-cough* employee. Aoba was a good kid, after all.

 **"..."**

 _ **So he only came to the shop for that... There were so many other people who called the shop for the same reason too. So he's just one of them.**_

 **"So make sure to let me hear even more of your many voices. I want to hear them. Okay?"**

 _ **He loads his gun, and gets on his knees onto the bed. He pushes the gun to me, as if to gesture that I should lie down.**_

 **"Don't move! If you try to escape I'll shoot."**

 **"..."**

 **"Whatever's fine, it's not too demanding. I just want to hear your voice."**

 _ **He raises his voice and pants loudly, and then begins to touch my face. Disgusting...! Besides, why does he have to keep looking into my eyes...!?**_

"Poor Aoba-chan." Yoshie commented to herself. He seems to have just rotten luck. But he had many manly friends who will most surely come to the rescue and sweep him off his feet. That would be so romantic and it was definitely something the poor boy deserved. She could just see it now! It would most surely be the perfect end for all these awful things happening.

 ***veins flash twice***

 _ **Ouch... My head... Shit... Why does it have to start up again now...!?**_

 ***sound of door opening***

 **"!"**

 **"...Eek!"**

 _ **The door to the room flies open, and the man turns around, face turning pale as a ghost, dropping his gun.**_

 ***shows Mink***

 _ **The one standing there was... Mink.**_

 **"... What are you doing?" mink**

 **"F-Forgive me!"**

 _ **Mink comes inside and grabs the jumbled man by the collar.**_

 **"Eeek! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"**

 **"Get your ass over here." mink**

 **"Eh? Ow...!" aoba**

 _ **Mink grabs me by the arm and drags me off of the bed.**_

"You better not do anything to hurt Master!" Clear exclaimed, glaring at the man, though nobody could tell.

"..." Mink didn't respond. He didn't feel threatened by the weirdo in the gas mask.

 ***screen goes dark***

 _ **Mink drags me and the man out of the room. The rest of the members in the hallway are all staring at us.**_

 ***shows main room***

 _ **We go through an open door at the end of the hallway, and enter the room I was taken to the first time. Even more members followed us in, adding to the ones already in the room, and it went dead silent inside.**_

 **"!" aoba**

 _ **Mink violently thrashes my arm away, grabs the guy by the neck and throws him down to the ground.**_

 **"! Mi-Mink-san, forgive me- forgive me...!"**

 _ **The man, his face completely pale, looks up to Mink and then falls back on his butt and crawls away.**_

 ***shows Mink with some of his team, then shows his stats***

 **"Is it time for his punishment?" yuzawa*-one of the members who is named**

 **"guess so. But what'd he do?" takemoto-the other named memeber**

 **"Who knows? Must've been something really bad. Mink-san is pissed." yuzawa**

 **"And that one over there, isn't that guy he brought gonna get it too?" takemoto**

 **"Don't think so." yuzawa**

 _'He better not do anything to Aoba.'_ This was the thought of several/most of the people in the room. There would be hell to pay if this man did anything more to him.

 _ **The surrounding men sit on the floor and stare at us while whispering amongst themselves. Punishment...? That can't mean anything good.**_

 ***screen moves down to show the man kneeling at Mink's feet***

 **"Eek! Forgive me, please have mercy!"**

 ***goes black***

 _ **Mink stares at the beggin man, emotionless. He then grabs him by the collar without a word.**_

 ***shows mink again and hitting sound is heard***

 **"Ugh!"**

 ***screen moves down***

 _ **I can hear the sound of each bone breaking one by one, and the man's face is effortlessly crushed. The man begins to shake, eyes wide open, and convulses violently. A puddle of blood pools around his mouth, and little clumps of white, like rice, guzzle out. His teeth were all broken. With just one attack, he was knocked unconcious. I was struck, unable to speak.**_

That left the people in the room speechless. And a little bit afraid of the large man. But their fear wasn't going to stop them from getting retribution if he continued to harm Aoba. Or anybody else they cared about.

 _ **Soon all of the surrounding spectators' eyes were on me. Not the man Mink just broke, but me. All of them have broad grins on their faces... This gives me an awful feeling. They're not saying that I'm next, right? Me being raped or beaten to a pulp isn't funny...!**_

 ***veins flash onscreen***

 **"..." aoba**

 _ **As if to deliver the final blow, my head starts to hurt immensely. Shit... I don't have my bag or my pills, and I'll be caught if I even try to run away in this situation... This is the worst case scenario.**_

 _ **Mink takes one step forward towards me.**_

 **"Don't fuck with me... Go away!" aoba**

 _ **I try to fall back, but Mink takes long strides and closes the distance. The pool of blood around the man reflects in my eyes. I don't want to become like that... I tense up right away... But.**_

 **"...?" aoba**

 **"You're over here." mink**

 _ **Instead of the impact I was bracing for, Mink grabs my arm and begins to walk out. We head towards the door we came through earlier.**_

There was relief that it appeared Aoba wasn't going to be harmed. At least, not at this moment. But nobody wanted to think of any future events that might cause the boy harm. He's been through enough already.

 **"... He's not getting punished? Are you serious?" yuzawa**

 **"Ha? Why? Wasn't that guy our target?" takemoto**

 **"What the fuck... he looked like such a good one to do, too." yuzawa**

 _ **As we pass by, Mink yells at the members to move out of the way. He took me to the room where people recieve "Punishment", so of course they thought I was next. I thought so too. Everyone around us is talking, and Mink can hear them, but he doesn't make any responses. What is it now...? I get a very bad feeling as Mink pulls me out of the room.**_

 ***scene changes back to bedroom***

 _ **Mink faces me outside the room where I woke up just a while ago.**_

 **"Let me go...!"**

 _ **He enters the room and I shake my hands around to try to loosen his grip. He lets go fo me and sits on the bed. I look into his eyes, unable to figure out what he's thinking. I feel intimidated for a second, but I return his gaze with a scowl.**_

 ***shows Mink's face***

 _ **He's the type of guy who could change in an instant and start hitting you all of a sudden. That's him. I felt like I was investigating my overly calm opponent. What he's thinking, what kind of person he is... I'm searching for that in him. Just like prey looking into the eyes of the predator. That's why I can't show any weakness to him. That's what I thought.**_

 **"... What's your goal here? Why did you take me here? Where's Granny?"**

 **"..."**

 **"Why did you beat him down back there? Wasn't he just following the orders from you to attack me in the first place? Why?"**

 **"He was different. I said no one could enter that room. That was his punishment for disobeying."**

 **"Different... It doesn't make a difference to me. What are you going to do with me? Do you want to see me raped?"**

 **"... Your most prominent trait is a lack of self-awareness."**

 **"... Huh?"**

 **"I'll only say this one more time. I didn't beat that guy because he went in the room. It was because he did it without asking permission. He was seduced by your voice."**

A grim look formed on Tae's face. That wasn't something she wanted to hear. If this man found out about Aoba's power, then Toue most certainly has or will soon. She would not allow that man to harm her grandson. She'd make sure of it.

 **"... My voice?"**

 _ **I want to say that he didn't even know what he was talking about, but instead I swallow my words. That man had some clear attachment to my voice... But why does Mink know?**_

 **"I wondered why he would dare to disobey my orders in the first place. I don't allow that. Those are the rules here."**

 **"..."**

 _ **The more this conversation goes on, the less I understand.**_

 **"Why do you know... about how my voice sounds?"**

 **"..."**

 **"Answer me. Tell me what happened to Granny."**

 **"I don't know. You were my primary objective."**

 **"Wha...?"**

 _ **His primary objective? Then what about her? My vision blanks out and Mink pulls something from his breast pocket and waves it around.**_

 **"It's this."**

 **"!"**

 _ **In Mink's hand is my medicine. I immediately reach out for it, but he quickly pulls away.**_

 **"Give it!"**

 **"Answer my question."**

 **"It's just medicine for my headaches!"**

 **"Seems like you're not the ind of guy who gives convincing answers."**

 **"Granny is a pharmacist... And I don't know anything else."**

 **"You're just like a junkie."**

"I am not a junkie!" Aoba exclaimed, offended. He was was over the drug use part of his life and there was no way he was going back to it.

"We know you're not, Aoba." Koujaku said, reassuringly patting Aoba's shoulder. He couldn't even imagine the other as a junkie.

"Not anymore, at least." Mizuki added, earning a glare from the boy in question and grinning at him in return.

Koujaku shot him a questioning look and Mizuki made a 'tell you about it later' sort of motion and got a nod in return. Luckily for them, Aoba didn't notice this exchange.

 **"Huh...?"**

 _ **Mink puts it back in his breast pocket and stands up from the bed. He opens the door, and in the hallway there are people talking. Two men come into the room shortly after. They're dragging something along, and they drop it off in the room... They droppped off a person. They're two men dressed in black clothes, face down on the floor. I take a better look at them, and can tell that they're faintly breathing.**_

 **"Look at their necks." mink**

 _ **Necks...? I examine the necks of the two men writhing on the floor.**_

 ***shows Morphine's mark***

 **"!"**

 _ **It's Morphine's tag art... And even... Their previous tags have been painted out? A different pattern barely shows through. This is... This must be my imagination...**_

 **"Dry Juice..."**

"What!?" Mizuki exclaimed. Sure, a part of his mind expected this, considering his team's disappearance. But he had been hoping it wasn't true. He wouldn't let this happen!

"Maybe some of your guys left and joined them?" Koujaku asked, hoping this didn't mean that all of Dry Juice was in Morphine.

"... Maybe..." Mizuki responded, his voice desponded.

 ***scene goes back to room***

 _ **One of the men rolls over on his side and I can see his face... I know him. This guy's from Dry Juice.**_

 **"It seems like they came to your house before we did. Everyone else was already gone and these were the only two left. So now you know. We have nothing to do with your grandmother."**

 **"But she's..."**

 **"I don't know. We're tracking down the other members right now."**

 **"Really? Then..."**

 **"Before that, we need to come to an agreement here. I already told you earler that you were my objective."**

 **"..."**

 **"I took you here because I needed to be sure about something. I had the general gist of it. You're going to do whatever I tell you to do. Once you agree, I'll help you with this stupid-ass job."**

 **"My job...?"**

 **"I'm saying I'll help you search for your grandmother."**

 **"!"**

 _ **I find it hard to believe that he actually said that. He might've just set this hwhole thing up. He made me go through something awful; there's no way I could believe this. But even if he was lying, there's no explanation why Morphine.. why this happened to Dry Juice. Why the tag art was painted over... There's no way he could've conjured that up in such a short time.**_

 **"If you don't believe me then you can go search for her by yourself. Go ahead."**

 **"..."**

 _ **It's frustrating, but I can't think of any way to find her by myself. And if her disappearance had to do with Morphine, I'd just be grasping at straws.**_

 **"You said that I'm what you want, but why?"**

 **"There's no reason to tell you now. Just hurry and decide if you'll accept my conditions."**

 **Choice:**

 **-Don't listen to him**

 **-I have to bear with this**

Aoba thought hard about this. He didn't want to have to work with this man. He didn't trust him. But he wasn't sure how he would be able to find Tae without some help. Sure, he knew the members of Beni-Shigure would help. But if this found her quicker, then it would all be alright, right? He eventually selected the choice 'I have to bear with this'.

 _ **This guy will never tell me what it is, but I have to give in to his demands.**_

 **"... I understand."**

 **"We're leaving as soon as possible. Get ready."**

 _ **Mink take the medication I take for my headaches out of his breast pocket and throws it to me. That takes me by surprise and I barely catch it. If I take this then my headaches will calm down. And he said to get ready... Oh yeah, where's my bag?**_

 ***door squeaks and flapping is heard***

 _ **Mink leaves the room, and as if to switch places with him, a colorufl cockatoo comes in. He leaves something near my legs... Oh. My bag!**_

 **"It's your stuff. Take it." tori**

 _ **The cockatoo flaps his wings and speaks to me in a dandy voice. Of course, it's and Allmate, not a real bird.**_

 ***flashback to show mink with tori***

 _ **I've seen this bird somewhere before. I'm pretty sure he was resting on Mink's shoulder...**_

 ***back to room***

 **"Are you Mink's Allmate?"**

 **"I am."**

 _ **He replies and flaps his wings again before quickly leaving through the door. That's Minks's...**_

-linebreak-

 **Hey, I'm back. So sorry for the long break. I'd like to say it's because I was busy, but that would be a lie.**

 **How was your guys' new year? Mine started off with me wrecking my car. I wasn't hurt, but the car was ruined. Which considering my job is to deliver pizzas, that wasn't helpful. So I was unable to work for a long time. But I eventually got a new car and got back to work, so I'll be busy with that.**

 **I'm not going to make a promise saying I'll update again by next week because I don't know when I will be able to sit down and write because of work. But I promise I'll try not to let almost 2 months pass without an update. If I'm taking to long, feel free to PM to remind me to write.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think.**

 **Also, I'm thinking about adding the pairing Mink x Clear. I know Mink does awful things in the game, but since the events in the game aren't going to happen, he has the chance to be a better person. And I think Clear's cheerful personality will help bring that out of him. Plus I've read a few good fanfics with them as a pairing that I enjoyed. Let me know what you think of this idea.**

 **Until next time~**


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own Dramatical Muder. It is the property of Nitro + CHiRAL**

 **See bottom for AN**

-linebreak-

 _ **I think over the strangeness of the situation and the pick up my bag. I unzip it a little to check to see if everything's in there. Inside is a ball of dark blue fur and my Coil. It seems like neither my Coil or Ren suffered any damage.**_

Aoba let out a small sigh of relief, petting Ren lightly.

"I'm glad your not hurt." He told him, giving the dog a small smile.

Ren wagged his tail in response. He was glad as well.

 _ **I first put my Coil back on my arm again.**_

 ***a beep is heard***

 _ **An icon flashes repeatedly to alert me of unread messages.**_

 ***missed call screen appears, showing a lot of missed calls from Koujaku***

"Geez, stalker much." Noiz commented.

Koujaku glared at him. "I'm not a stalker! Aoba's my friend who disappeared. Of course I'm going to call him." he defended.

"Whatever you say... Stalker." Noiz added the last word quietly. Only Aoba heard him and he gave the blond a glare. Which got a smile in return.

 **"Whoa..."**

 _ **My log starts to fill up with recieved messages like raging waves. They're all from Koujaku. I redial him, flustered.**_

 ***calls Koujaku***

 **"Aoba!?"**

 **"Yeah."**

 **"You... Where have you been!?"**

 **"Sorry."**

 **"I was so worried, you weren't picking up at all!"**

 **"Some things happened... But I'm going home now, so we'll talk later."**

 **"Got it. I'm at Heibon right now, so go there."**

 **"Okay."**

 ***call ends and screen closes***

 _ **Hearing Koujaku's voice bounced me back to reality in an instant. With Dry Juice and Granny gone, and even being dragged here... Outrageous things keep happening one after the other, and by now I'm feeling numb to it. But this is reality. And they'll keep happening... I should go. I took some of my meds for my headaches, picked up my bag, and left the room.**_

 ***shows outside***

 _ **From the outside view, I realized that the building I was taken to was in the North district. I leave the building and face the direction of the East district.**_

 ***shows alley***

 _ **I don't know how much time I spent in that gloomy building, but the sun was high up in the sky as I left. Mink traveled through the back streets rather than the main ones. It seems like he doesn't want to be seen by too many people. For a person like him, there might be a reason he doesn't want to be seen...**_

 ***shows different alley***

 _ **The headaches calmed down considerable, but I'm not in top shape and walk slowly. A distance starts to open up between Mink and I. We turn a bunch of corners, and I find myself about to lose sight of the back I'm supposed to follow.**_

 **Choice:**

 **-Call out to him**

 **Be patient**

Aoba thought for a moment. While he didn't really know that area particularly well, he didn't really trust Mink. Besides, if he got too lost, he had Ren to help navigate back to Heibon. So he would be alright. He clicked on the choice 'be patient'. He was sure that was the right one.

 _ **... Suddenly I feel very miserable. Why am I chasing after this guy as if my life depended on it? ... No, it was different. This is all to save Granny. That's what I tell myself.**_

 ***shows different alley***

 _ **I walked the rest of the way without a wod, and eventually my surroundings changed. A little farther and I'll be at Heibon. Just the thought of being back warmed my heart with a feeling of extreme nostalgia.**_

 ***shows outside of Heibon***

 _ **When I see Heibon's sign, a shadow suddenly jumps at me from above.**_

 **"Master-!"**

 ***a crash is heard***

"You really need to stop coming out of nowhere like that... You're going to end up giving me a heart attack at some point." Aoba told the masked man.

"Eh!? I don't want that! I promise to be more careful, Master!" Clear exclaimed, his tone worried for a moment. It would be awful if something happened to Master! He could do his very best to protect him!

 **"C-Clear!?"**

 _ **The one who was calling to me... was Clear.**_

 ***shows Clear and music starts.***

 _ **Clear fell face first to the ground, but he stood up, upbeat as usual, and clung to me.**_

 **"Master! I'm so glad! Were you taken away somewhere!?"**

 **"Ah... No."**

 **"As long as you're safe! Last night I heard your voice from far away, and I got worried!"**

 **"My voice?"**

 **"Yes!"**

 _ **Last night... That's when I was taken to that building by Mink...**_

 **Choice:**

 **-Hurry inside**

 **-Did you really hear me?**

Aoba thought about this for a moment.

"There's no way he could have heard you unless he was there." Mizuki commented.

"But I did hear him! I'm sure of it!" Clear defended. Though from the looks on everybody's faces in the room, nobody believed him. He hung his head, grumbling to himself about how he most certainly would have heard his master, no matter the distance.

The blue-haired man picked the choice 'hurry inside'.

 _ **There's no way he could've heard my voice from so far away. He's just saying that.**_

 **" 's that so? Let's just head over into the shop. Isn't that what you came here for?"**

 _ **To escape the pressure of Mink's glare, I grab Clear's shoulder and head in the other direction.**_

 **"I see. I understand. Now, please come inside, Master."**

 ***shows inside Heibon***

 **"... Aoba!" Koujaku**

 **"Aoba-kun!" Haga**

 _ **We go inside Heibon, and both Haga-san and Koujaku leap up, all color drained from their faces.**_

 **"Are you okay?" Koujaku**

 **"Sort of." Aoba**

 **"That's good to hear." Haga**

 **"Hey, is that dog okay too?" Beni**

 **"I'm here." Ren**

 _ **Ten's head pops out of my bag and looks up to Beni, who is perched on Koujaku.**_

 **"This gas mask guy came over to me and said you were kidnapped! I didn't believe it at first, but I couldn't get in contact with you! And when I tried to ask Tae-san, I couldn't reach her either! I know she hates Coils, but..." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku looks behind me, clearly scowling.**_

 **"Hey, that guy..." Koujaku**

 **"Ah, um-" Aoba**

 **"You bastard... You're Scratch's Head, aren't you!" Koujaku**

 _ **Scratch? Isn't that the name of a Rib team made up of prisoners?**_

"How scary." Yoshie commented to herself, holding Clara close. Sure, she had realized the bad men who had taken Aoba-chan were Scratch, she had see the tag art. But it didn't change the fact that it was a scary situation.

 **"... Huh?" Aoba**

 **"You didn't even notice?" Koujaku**

 **"No... I never saw their tag art." Aoba**

 **"... Hmph." Mink**

 _ **Mink finds my stupidity amusing and snorts.**_

 ***flashes back to Scratch headquarters***

 _ **The building was so dark and dirty that I couldn't see a thing, either... I think I remember seeing some kind of tag art there...**_

 ***shows Scratch's tag art***

 _ **Based off of appearances, you could say that Scratch is just a Rib team, but in actuality it's a gang of prisoners. In short, it's a group of violent prison escapees. The police don't do anything, and no one wants to mess with them either... So that was it. And those "punishments", too...**_

 ***shows Mink standing with some of his men***

 _ **Banding a mass of prisoners together isn't the easiest thing to do. You'd have to have serious authority in a lawless place. Even so, there's still discipline in the team.**_

 ***back to Heibon***

 **"Shit, a newcomer?" Beni**

 ***shows Tori***

 _ **Beni glares at the cockatoo with an intensity. It doesn't make any eye contact, showing that it doesn't care in the slightest.**_

 **"What a lovely cockatoo." Haga**

"It is rather lovely." Haga said, agreeing with his own comment, looking at the bird perched on Mink's shoulder. The man's glare didn't detere him, much.

"Hmph." was Mink's reply.

 **"It is. It's a beautiful cockatoo." Clear**

 **"Heh, don't be fooled. He's a bitch, I can tell!" Beni**

 **"You're quite a noisy fellow. How about you replace that habit o fbantering with singing instead?" Tori**

 **"-You! Don't you mess with me!" Beni**

 _ **Beni's feathers fluff out. Like a real bird, his hostility is clearly visible.**_

 **"This is just great. Running into some low-life scum. Go back to your cell like a good little boy." Koujaku**

 **"You clearly don't think before you speak." Mink**

 **"Whaddya say? Why are you with Aoba? What are you trying to do here? He's go no money." Koujaku**

That comment earned him a glare from the man in question. He smiled sheepishly at the other apologetically. After a moment, Aoba gave a small smile to show he had been forgivin for the comment.

 **"It has nothing to do with you." Mink**

 **"Huh? Are you trying to start something?" Koujaku**

 _ **Then tension between Mink and Koujaku seems pretty dangerous...**_

 **"Ko-Koujaku-kun, calm down." Haga**

"Koujaku-kun. Don't go starting a fight in my shop." Haga told him, giving him a stern look.

Koujaku looked at the older man for a moment before his gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm sorry Haga-san. I promise I won't..." he told him.

 **"Now, lets just go inside. This is the entrance anyway." Aoba**

 **"... Tch." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku glares at Mink and clicks his tongue. Mink's expression doesn't really change, but he keeps looking at Koujaku. They were a lot more considerate earlier mefore... I feel a sudden wave of tiredness as we all enter the shop.**_

 ***shows back room, different music plays***

 _ **In the storehouse in Heibon's basement, we start a make-shift meeting held around a table, sitting on the sofas. Haga-san seems like he's choosing the smart way to do things; he shows us down here and goes back upstairs to the shop.**_

 ***shows group, minus Noiz, sitting on the sofa***

 _ **Koujaku, Clear, Mink, and I sit down on a sofa.**_

 ***shows the room***

 **"... So, let's continue off where we were. What happened to Tae-san? She isn't responding at all. Just like you sometimes. We know Tae-san hates Coils. So that might just be the issue here." Koujaku**

 **"That's..." Aoba**

 _ **I hesitate to speak, and Koujaku flashes a frown.**_

 **"What happened?" Koujaku**

 **"... She was taken." Aoba**

 **"By who!?" Koujaku**

 **"Morphine." Mink**

 _ **Koujaku laughs scornfully at Mink's words.**_

"Don't just believe something doesn't exist just because you haven't seen it." Tae stated, talking not just to Koujaku, but to the entire room.

"... I'm sorry Tae-san..." Koujaku apologized automatically. Every time the older woman scolded him, it made him feel like a little kid again.

"Hmph.." Came Tae's response.

 **"Hah? Hey now, don't try to pull my leg here. Morphine? The ones who mysteriously disappeared? Tae-san doesn't do Rib, you know that right?" Koujaku**

 **"... Koujaku. I saw it. Morphine's tag." Aoba**

 **"... Are you serious?" Koujaku**

 _ **When I came home and Granny wasn't there, when I met Mink.. And when I shortly spoke with a member of Morphine... No, Dry Juice. Coming back to the topic of Mink kidnapping me would only fan the flames, so I left it alone. Koujaku listened with much seriousness, let out a small sigh, and leaned back on his chair.**_

 ***shows Koujaku on the couch***

 **"It's unbelievable. Maybe "Morphine" might just be some guys trying to trick you?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku glares Mink's way with obvious hostility.**_

 **"So those guys are the culprits." Koujaku**

 ***image moves over to Mink***

 **"If you don't believe it, then you don't have to push yourself to join in." Mink**

 ***shows both Mink and Koujaku split screen***

 **"Oh? Why do you feel the need to say that, you prick? You haven't come up with jack shit here." Koujaku**

 **"You're not the one who decides that, he does." Mink**

 _ **Mink points to me with his pipe.**_

"Why do I have to be the one who decides that?" Aoba asked.

"Because it's your grandmother in danger." Mink responded.

 _'I know that..."_ Aoba thought. That didn't mean he knew what needed to be done to save her.

 **"In exchange for helping with the search for his grandmother, he accepted my conditions. That's what we agreed upon." Mink**

 **"What the hell... What do you mean, accepted your conditions?" Koujaku**

 **"I have no obligation to tell you. I'm just here to point out where her general location is." M And to pursue the members of the team who abducted her, and relay that information. If you don't believe that either, do whatever you want." Mink**

 ***shows Koujaku***

 **"..." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku looks at me. What's with his eyes? It's as if they're asking me questions. I... I already decided on this. I can understand Koujaku's anxieties and doubts all too well. Its not like I trust Mink in the least either. But no one else knows where Granny could be. I don't know if blindly searching would work at all. All I can do... is take a bet on him.**_

 **"... Koujaku, I want to save Granny. I can't think of any other way." Aoba**

 **"..." Koujaku**

 **"Please help me with this." Aoba**

"Of course I'll help you, Aoba. You don't even have to ask." Koujaku told him, giving the blue-haired man a big smile.

Aoba blushed, though it was barely noticable unless you were really looking. "T-Thank you... Hippo." he added the last part quickly.

The last part made Koujaku glare for a second before giving a small laugh.

 **"Aoba..." Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku's anger gradually fades from his face, and his eyes gain a spark to them.**_

 **"... I got it. That's all you have to say. I'm not sold, but I just have to trust you." Koujaku**

 **"Thanks."**

 **"I don't mind if it's for you." Koujaku**

 ***back to showing the people on the couch***

 _ **Koujaku once again scowls at Mink. Mink breathes out a puff of white smoke, and looks to the staircase**_

 **"...?" Aoba**

 _ **At first I thought he was trying to rile up Koujaku by ignoring him... but he looks like hes observing something instead. Is something there?**_

 **"Hey." Mink**

 ***sound of wings and shows room***

 _ **Mink turns his chin to his cockatoo. The cockatoo flaps its wings and goes out the door to the first floor. I hear clattering, and he's brought something back with him**_

 **"P!"**

 **"What's that?" Koujaku**

 **"A block?" Clear**

 **"This..." Aoba**

 ***shows bunnycube***

"Would you stop eavesdropping on me!?" Aoba asked, glaring at Noiz.

"Will you stop making it so easy to eavesdrop on you?" Noiz asked in return, not even bothered by the glare. Honestly, the guy didn't look intimating at all. More like an angry kitten. It was actually kinda adorable. Not that he would admit it out loud.

Aoba continued glaring at him for another minute before turning back to the screen.

 _ **The cockatoo brought back a cube. Wait, this looks familiar...**_

 **"Noiz. It's him again." Aoba**

 **"What bad manners." Mink**

 **"Again? Does he eavesdrop as a hobby?" Koujaku**

 **"So this is what I heard at the door earlier." Clear**

 **"An aquaintance?" Mink**

 **"I guess you sort of could call him that." Aoba**

 **"The information gathering type, huh. Well, it looks as if that's what this thing is for." Mink**

 _ **Mink holds up my arm as high as his ears.**_

 **"Call him up here." Mink**

 **"Huh?" Aoba**

 **"Use the same tone of voice you use at the shop." Mink**

 **"How would I call him!?" Aoba**

 **"Any guy with a decent brain can take advantage of things. A strategy to play cards is a good idea." Mink**

 **"Hey, what are you telling him?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku turns his attention over here, and Mink lets go of me. Most likely... Mink is talking about my voice. Even if you tell me that... The callers? Is it really okay to just use the tone I use with customers...? I look at the cube the cockatoo retrieved, and take a deep breath. Honestly, both Mink and Noiz give me bad feelings that I can't really describe... But it's to save Granny. I have to do it. I'll speak how I usually do to customers, but change my tone of voice a bit.**_

 ***shows the cube***

 **"... Noiz, you're there, right? Are you listening?"**

 **"..."**

 **"Some stuff happened, and it's serious. honestly, it might not be enough with only us. So... would you lend me a hand until it's over? I'll do whatever you want."**

 **"Aoba!?" Koujaku**

 **"... So please. Please help me."**

The people in the room where confused by the different tone of voice. It definitely didn't sound like Aoba's regular voice. At least, everybody was confused except Tae and Sei. Both had blank faces.

"Uh... What was that?" Mizuki asked.

"I have no idea.." Aoba responded. Maybe it would be explained sometime soon? He hoped so.

 ***screen goes black for a second before showing room***

 _ **... I don't know how convincing that was, but a few minutes pass.**_

 ***shows Noiz sitting with group***

 _ **Noiz showed up at Heibon. Koujaku, Clear, Mink, and Noiz were all here. All of these random people just lining up... It's sort of an achievement. Noiz coming here made Koujaku even more unpleasant, but it can't be helped anymore.**_

 ***shows room***

 _ **And even after the situation from before, I still spoke blunty.**_

 **"Isn't Dry Juice the number one Rib team?" Noiz**

 **"Yeah." Aoba**

 **"So a lot of people are in it. So that means there's crew all around this entire island." Noiz**

 **"I guess so..." Aoba**

 **"My team members have been searching too, but they're not coming up with anything." Koujaku**

 **"I also searched from the rooftop, but did not find anything." Clear**

 **"They must be in some isolated place." Noiz**

 **"What do you mean?" Aoba**

 **"The kind of place nobody's allowed to enter so no one comes by on accident." Noiz**

 **"That's right. An information gathering lunatic would know." Mink**

 **"I'm not a lunatic." Noiz**

"I'm not a lunatic." Noiz said at the same moment as his on-screen self. This made a few members of Beni-Shigure laugh, but they stopped at the cold glare he gave them.

"Are you sure about that? You sure seem like one." Koujaku said.

Noiz turned his glare to the older man, but he was unaffected.

"Koujaku, don't start a fight." Aoba told him. His tone told the other he wasn't impressed by the comment.

"... Sorry..." he apologized to the blue-haired man. But he wasn't going to give that brat an apology. Not a chance.

 _ **Mink takes a slow whiff from his pipe.**_

 **"Your grandmother has been taken to the Keisen, in the North." Mink**

 **"Keisen..." Aoba**

 **"Actually, there are unused warehouses up there." Koujaku**

 **"Investigate it." Mink**

 _ **Mink points his pipe to Noiz.**_

 **"I don't remember taking orders from you." Noiz**

 **"Think of it as an exchange. We both want some things sorted out, don't we?" Mink**

 **"... Tch." Noiz**

 ***sound of typing is heard***

 _ **Noiz clicks his tongue angrily, pulls out the monitor and keyboard from his Coil, and begins the operation.**_

 **"... Anyway, why do you get to call the shots?" Koujaku**

 **"Fine, you go ahead and take the initiative." Mink**

 **"Huh!?" Koujaku**

 _ **Koujaku bends forward, not quite satisfied with the answer. Mink's allmate stops cleaning its self and raises its head.**_

 **"I think you shouldn't waste you energy yelling like that." Tori**

 **" 'Ey you, shaddap!" Beni**

 _ **Beni glares at the cockatoo from Koujaku's shoulder, feathers flared up.**_

 **"Allmates really are just like their owners." Tori**

"From what I can see, that seems to be true." Sei said. Though his voice was quiet, only Mizuki seemed to hear him.

"Yeah. It makes me glad I don't have one. I'd hate to see how it would act." Mizuki responded.

"I'm sure it would be just as kind as you are." Sei told him. Mizuki blushed at that and turned his face away, embarrassed.

 **"What'dya say!? You bastard!" Beni**

 **"Both of you, shut up." Noiz**

 ***map is shown***

 _ **Noiz interrupts the Allmates' fight and turns his monitor over for us to see. On it is a map of the Old Resident District with a red arrow pointing to a spot.**_

 **"This is where Keisen is. When I tried to access their network I got an error. If it wa a normal, off-limits area, there wouldn't have been a network in the first place. This place's data ahas a blank error screen. In short, it's a fake. It's trying to emulate a disfunct network." Noiz**

 **"So we were right." Koujaku**

 **"I guess. There used to be a lot of treatment plants built here." Noiz**

 **"But they all closed down and became off-limits a few years ago." Aoba**

 **"And it's still used as a dump, an illegal one at that. No one's ever cracked won on it." Koujaku**

 **"Granny's there..." Aoba**

 **"I've recieved some reports on roughly where she is." Mink**

 _ **There's no concrete proof that she's here. But it's worth it to take that chance.**_

 **"Even if Tae-san's kidnappers are here, we have no idea what this place is like. Isn't that dangerous?" Koujaku**

 **"Oh, if that's it, then I know that place quite well." Clear**

 ***shows Clear***

 **"... This isn't a time to joke around." Koujaku**

 **"I know. I really do know this area. I used to take walks in this area a long time ago." Clear**

 **"..." Aoba**

 **"..." Koujaku**

 **"..." Noiz**

 **"..." Mink**

 **"Eh? What is it? Why did everyone suddenly go quiet? Do you doubt me? Please don't do that! I really do know! I can draw you a map if you want me to!" Clear**

 _ **Clear is unhappy with our reactions, and takes out a piece of paper and pen from his coat pocket.**_

 **"Annnnddd... Here." Clear**

 _ **Clear glides the pen across the paper without a single pause.**_

 ***shows childish drawing of a map***

"That looks like a child drew it." Noiz commented.

"Ehhh!? So mean!" Clear exclaimed.

Aoba glared at the blond.

"What?"

"Don't be mean to Clear." Aoba told him. Noiz looked like he was going to argue, but decided against it.

 **"... Done! I'm finished!" Clear**

 **"Hey, hey. Are you serious about this map?" Koujaku**

 **"Compare it." Mink**

 _ **Mink takes the map from Clear and brings it to Noiz.**_

 ***drawing is compared to map, leaving map on screen***

 **"... It matches up." Noiz**

 **"So it really is right." Koujaku**

 **"Didn't I say so before? You're all so mean!" Clear**

 ***map closes and shows room and music stops***

 **"... Well, with this we won't get lost. Let's follow it." Aoba**

 **"Follow... This mask guy?" Koujaku**

 ***shows group and then room again. Music restarts***

 _ **Koujaku looks at the rest of us with a reluctant face.**_

 **"All he does is weird crap... Why should we?" Koujaku**

 **"You have no right to say that about someone else." Noiz**

 **"Shut up." Koujaku**

 **"I don't have the intetion of getting buddy-buddy with you all. I'm just doiing it the easy way. It's more efficient." Noiz**

 **"Then we should just all split up." Koujaku**

 **"it's better that way. Even if we lay out a detailed plan, there's no guarentee that everyone will follow it exactly. Escpecially the masked guy here." Mink**

 **"That's what I've been saying!" Koujaku**

 **"I was talking about you and gas mask over there." Mink**

 **"What was that!?" Koujaku**

 **"Eh, me? That's awful! I wanted to be friends with all of you too!" Clear**

 **"Keep your jokes to yourself." Noiz**

 **"Ehhhh?" Clear**

 _ **... This is impossible. I thought it would be, and I was right. No on eis cooperating. If they could at least look like they could work together...**_

"Do you guys really have to start fighting!? This is serious!" Aoba exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Aoba. But I don't trust those guys." Koujaku told him, indicating Mink and Noiz.

"I'm sorry, Master! I'll do better!" Clear exclaimed.

"I don't care if you don't trust them. If they're going to help find Granny, we have to all work together." Aoba told Koujaku before turning to Clear. "And thank you, Clear."

Koujaku was silent, knowing the other was right.

"Your welcome, Master~" Clear sung.

 **"Hey, gas mask guy. Don't butt into our complicated conversation, and shut up!" Koujaku**

 **"You should do the same thing." Noiz**

 **"No way! So mean! It's not complicated at all!" Clear**

 ***shows group on the couch and them talking in the background***

 _ **While I'm sitting here at my wit's end, these guys just keep going on and on like little kids. This really isn't the time... While we waste our time, Granny could be in even more danger for all we know... More and more as time goes on... These guys... Are seriously...**_

 ***music stops***

 **"... You guys, cut this shit out already!"**

 ***shows room***

 _ **... With no patience left, I yell at them. Even if I do that, they won't listen to me anyway... Well, that's what I thought.**_

 **"... H-Huh?" Aoba**

 _ **They suddenly all stopped their banter.**_

Aoba definitely wanted to find out what that was. It didn't seem normal. Especially not if it made them stop fighting when they hadn't been listening before.

 **"Eh... Why did...?" Aoba**

 ***music restarts***

 **"It's just like what Aoba said. We need to stop this." Koujaku**

 **"It was useless to waste our time with this in the first place." Noiz**

 **"Anyway, let's go." Mink**

 **"That's right. Let's go." Clear**

 _ **Everyone's mind changes with the flip of a switch, and they all stand up from the sofa. I don't know how exactly, but it seems like they all came to a mutual understanding... Well, whatever. It turned out all right in the end.**_

 **"... All right. Let's go." Aoba**

 _ **I pull myself together and get up from the sofa. Granny... I'll definitely save you. Mizuiki and the rest of Dry Juice too. We leave Heibon and head towards the North District.**_

-linebreak-

 **So here's the next chapter. I'm sorry if it's not as good as the previous ones, but I'm trying. I'll try to update as often as I can, but I won't make any promises on when the next one will be.**

 **So I've decided on the final pairings for this story. It will be KoujakuxAobaxNoiz, MizukixSei, and MinkxClear. Anybody who objects to this needs a decent argument on why it should be something different.**

 **A shoutout to Dayma Bouhouli for reminding me to update and keeping me on track. :D**

 **Please let me know if you enjoyed this chapter, if I added enough reactions in or if it needs more, and what I can do to improve the story.**

 **Until next time~ Hope you all enjoyed~**


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own Dramatical Murder. It is the property of Nitro + ChiRAL**

 **To my guest reviews: One asked if it would be easier to follow the anime instead. And my answer is no. Not unless I had the transcript of it. It also cuts out a lot of the story. Another asked if I was going to show everything, having everyone, especially Tae, watching Aoba have sex. The anwer it, maybe. We'll see when I get to it and if people want me to add it in, making it awkward for everybody.**

 **See bottom for AN:**

-line break-

 ***shows dump***

 _ **The North District's Keisen was like a ghost town, completely in ruins. More and more large warehouses were being built, but they were all labeled "No Tresspassing", so this area became a place to illegally dump trash. As if to deck out the empty buildings, people would throw their old funiture, and anything else really, into them. Of course nobody was there, and it gave off an eerie atmosphere.**_

 _ **While being very careful, we follow Clear's lead. There are mountains of trash here, and it leads me to remember something.**_

"Looks kinda like that demo game you were sent." Mizuki commented.

Aoba looked at the screen for a moment, examining it. He definitely saw the similarities.

"You're right.. That's strange.." Aoba agreed.

"It's to bad we don't know who sent the game to you." Koujaku said.

"It would be easy enough to track." Noiz added, mostly to Aoba.

"You'd do that for me?" Aoba asked, giving Noiz his attention.

"For you? Of course." Noiz replied. He noticed Koujaku glaring at him over Aoba's shoulder and gave the older man a smirk.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to come to you if I get any weird emails like that." Aoba told him.

Nobody noticed the small smile forming on Sei's face as he listened to them speak. He didn't mind his brother knowing where the messages were coming from.

 **"It... looks like the place from the game!" aoba**

 **"Game?" Koujaku**

 **"That game that I got sent! But it wasn't a game, just a demo movie Some guys took out Granny and kidnapped her. And they took her to where there were trash heaps!" aoba**

 **"This place certainly is a dump." clear**

 **"It's just a coincidence." koujaku**

 **"I thought so too, but it's still strange." aoba**

 **"Isn't there a treatment center around here?" noiz**

 ***bunny cube opens a map***

 _ **Noiz pulls up a map on his Coil and shows it to everyone.**_

 ***map zooms in***

 **"So there is." clear**

 **"It's the tallest standing building in this area." noiz**

 **"That sounds very suspicious." koujaku**

 ***map closes***

 **"I'll go there immediately." clear**

 _ **Clear quickly walks in the building's direction. He did say that he used to take walks here, but he's a weird one, isn't he...**_

"Weird?! I'm not weird, am I Master?" Clear asked, his voice upset.

"Uhh.. Of course you're not.." Aoba told him. Sure, the guy was a bit weird with the gas mask and all. But he seemed like a nice person.

 ***shows outside factory***

 _ **We walk along a trash ridden path and see a giant building. This must be it.**_

 **"... Please wait." clear**

 _ **Clear puts his arm out to stop us.**_

 **"What's wrong?" aoba**

 **"I can here it. Right now. In there." clear**

 **"Hear it... I don't hear anything." koujaku**

 _ **I listen carefully, but all I can hear is the rustling of trash. But it doesn't seem like Clear is messing around.**_

 **"I hear them. They're in there." clear**

"How can you possibly hear them when nobody else can?" Koujaku asked.

"I have very good hearing." Came Clear's response. A few people in the room gave him a look like they didn't believe him, but didn't press the issue.

 **"... Let's go." aoba**

 _ **Making sure we breathe quietly, we start to advance towards the plant. Clinging to the walls, I can hear the faint sound of people inside. It's just like Clear said. People are in here. Even more than we thought... I touch the bag under my arm. Ren is in Sleep Mode. To make sure Ren is with me, I stroke the top of my bag. This is where the "No Tresspassin" signs start. Just to make sure a signal doesn't come off from an Allmate, everyone keeps theirs turned off.**_

 _ **I see a door slightly opened that looks like a back entrance along the wall. Koujaku peeks into it cautiously.**_

 **"... Is anyone in here?" koujaku**

 **"We're all going in." mink**

 **"As far as it goes, we should wait for the right chance to get near those guys. We don't know what's in there." koujaku**

 _ **We decide that Koujaku, Mink, Clear, and I will go inside. Noiz will be on the sidelines, acting as network surveillence and erasing real-time history of us being there. Noiz stands back a bit and has his keyboard and monitor connected to his Coil. He begins the operation.**_

 **"There are no problems on my side." noiz**

 **Choice:**

 **-Go up to Noiz**

 **-Peek at what Noiz is doing**

"I work better if you don't disturb me." Noiz said. He really didn't like people disturbing him when he was trying to work. People in general were a distraction. Better to be left alone.

"Right... I'll keep that in mind." Aoba told him. He clicked the choice 'peek at what Noiz is doing'.

 _ **I look over to Noiz. He looks really focused. It seems like it's a better idea not to say anyithing.**_

 **"Isn't this exciting?" clear**

 **"It sounds like you think this is a game." aoba**

 **"... Let's go." mink**

 ***screen goes black***

 _ **On Mink's signal, Koujaku opens the door.**_

 ***shows guys shaded in black with glowing eyes***

 _ **... There was a crowd of black-clothes people in a room that was otherwise empty. Are these guys... part of Morphine? All of them turn around and see us.**_

 ***shows inside factory***

 _ **... Then they all run full-speed towards us.**_

 **"! They're coming!" aoba**

 **"Don't go over there! Hey! Come over here!" koujaku**

 **"..." mink**

 **"Waaaaah!" clear**

 _ **Koujaku and Mink head forward first and cut through the crowd. I follow, with the indecisive Clear close behind.**_

 **"Koujaku-san!" kou**

 _ **I hear footsteps behind us. It's the Beni-Shigure group.**_

 **"Uryah!" koujaku**

 ***sounds of fighting in background***

 _ **Koujaku exchanges looks with his members and knocks down the black-clothes people one by one. Mink silently fights them with his fists, taking two, even three members down at once.**_

 **"There! ...!" aoba**

 _ **I go to get some black-clothed guys as well, but I can't avoid one of them and an elbow hits my chin.**_

 **"Owowow... Uwah, you little-!" aoba**

 _ **He immediately pulls his fists back for another hit, but I stop him with my arm. But then he starts to rapidly pound down with his other fist.**_

 **"You're- So persistent...!" aoba**

 ***shows one guy's face close up***

 _ **I look at his face, and the sight sends shivers down my spine... What's wrong with this ugy's eyes? They look blank, just like a doll's. and when I take a better look at his face, I realize something. Is this guy part of Dry Juice...!?**_

"What?" Aoba turns to look at Mizuki, wanting confirmation about that. Mizuki examined the guy on the screen for a moment before sighing quietly.

"That guy is definitely in Dry Juice. Don't know why he'd be there." Mizuki said. He had a really bad feeling about this. He just hoped what he thought wasn't true. Sei gave him a reassuring pat on the back; he already knew that the other's fear was probably true, but he would help stop it from happening if he could.

 ***image goes away***

 **"...!?" aoba**

 _ **As I stand distracted, he takes the chance to send a blow to my shoulder. The intense pain travels as far as my fingertips.**_

 **"... That hurt, you asshole!" aoba**

 ***shows Aoba kicking then back to factory***

 _ **I reflexively turn and let loose a roundhouse kick. I hit his stomach, and he looks as if he's about to crumble to the ground. The people here... Are they all Dry Juice?**_

 **"... Wah!?' aoba**

 _ **A fist comes at me from the side, and I kick at it in a panic... right. Where'd Clear go?**_

 **Choice:**

 **-Search for Clear**

 **-Call Clear's name**

"Worried about me, Master?" Clear asked.

"You don't really seem much like a fighter." Aoba said.

"If you don't fight back when attacked, you could get yourself or your so called 'Master' hurt." Mink spoke up.

"EHH!? I don't want that to happen!" Clear exclaimed. "I'll do my best, Master!"

"Right..." Aoba muttered.. He chose the choice 'search for Clear' to continue forward.

 _ **I turn around and see Clear facing some of the black-clothes men.**_

 ***shows short animation of Clear hitting one of the guys***

 _ **The black-clothed man ate Clear's punch and fell down to the groud.**_

Everybody in the room but Clear sweatdropped.

 _ **... Well, that's how it's going to be. These guys are kind of weird. None of them have said anything since we came in. All they've done is pursue and attack us with blank expressions the whole time. And the one I just saw had doll-like eyes. All their concern turned to the other way, I saw Koujaku fighting with a hoard of those black-clothes goons.**_

 **Choice:**

 **-Fight Koujaku's enemies**

 **-Approach Koujaku**

Aoba chose 'fight Koujaku's enemies'.

"Don't need you to fight for me, Aoba." Koujaku told him, his tone slightly joking.

"Little extra help doesn't hurt anybody." Aoba responded.

 **"Hey, over here!" aoba**

 _ **As I yelled out, the black-clothed guy aiming for Koujaku turned around in caution.**_

 **"Take this!" aoba**

 ***shows Aoba kicking for a second***

 _ **I let loose a roundhouse kick and knocked out two of the guys on one side. I threw my fist into the stomach of one of the guys on the floor.**_

 **"Thanks for that!" koujaku**

 **"You're welcome!" aoba**

 **"Anyway, aren't these guys part of Dry Juice!?" koujaku**

 _ **After hearing Koujaku say that, my doubts began to turn into certainty.**_

 **"But, then why are they doing this...!?" aoba**

 **"Master-! I hear more sounds coming from inside! they're gathering!" clear**

 **"So this was a decoy." mink**

 _ **Mink quickly starts running into the interior of the factory.**_

 **"Hey, don't just run off... Tch!" koujaku**

 ***hitting noises for a second***

 _ **Koujaku leaves to go after Mink and the black-clothed men qho were just downed begin to rise up like zombies. While yelling, Koujaku mows them down with the back off his sword.**_

 **"Plucking the leaves won't kill the tree! I'll do something about this so you head in first!" koujaku**

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle it on your own?" Mizuki asked.

"Of course! Besides, I'm not alone. I have Beni-Shigure with me." Koujaku answered, gesturing to his men. They called out their agreement.

 **"... Got it! Thanks a lot!" aoba**

 _ **This isn't the time to hesitate. I run with Clear and Mink to the inner parts of the factory. I can see the front passageway.. Is this the entrance?**_

 ***scene changes to hallway***

 _ **We jump into the passageway, and three black-clothes men are standing there to blok the entrance.**_

 **"Guess we'll have to deal with this." mink**

 **"Eek!" clear**

 **"Hey, go on ahead." mink**

 **"Eh?" aoba**

 _ **Mink beats the black-clothes man who runs up to us with his fists.**_

 **"Hurry it up. Gas mask guy, you're over here."**

 **"What!? I want to stay together with Master!"**

 _ **Mink holds Clear by his neck and squeezes tight. Mink's piercing eyes catch me.**_

 **Choice:**

 **-Hesitate to listen**

 **-Listen to Mink**

Aoba knew they really didn't have time to be hesitating. Granny was in danger and he had to save her. So he instantly chose 'listen to mink'. This wasn't the time to be messing around.

 **"Clear, I'm counting on you! Do what Mink says!"**

 **"If you're as useless as you were last time, I'll be in trouble.**

 **"Understood! If that's what you wish, Master!"**

 _ **Another black-clothes man starts to come closer.**_

 **"Ahhh! Please stoooop!"**

 **"Hurry up and go."**

 **"... Sorry!"**

 _ **I passed through a line between the black-clothes guys and Mink's men and ran full speed to the door farther inside.**_

 ***scene goes black then shows parking lot***

 _ **I open the door and go outside. In front of me is a parking lot space, a car, and bblack colored van that had been parked. Around it stands a crowd of people in black clothing. Three people come out of the back seat and move towards the open van. I see the person in the middle... and yell out without thinking.**_

 **"Granny!"**

 _ **That small silhouette, being restrained on both sides and forced to walk is undoubtely Granny! The black-clothes men notice me and begin to run towards me.**_

 **"... Wait."**

 _ **A single person calls for them to stop. I can't see his face because of his hod.**_

 ***shows man from neck down***

 _ **The hooded person comes closer to me, but keeps a small distance and stops. He pulls down his hood slowly with both hands. I look at the face under the hood, and... My heart stops.**_

 **"..." aoba**

 ***scrolls up to show Mizuki***

 **"I almost didn't think you'd come all the way out here. That's just like you, Aoba."**

 **"Mizuki... You, why... To Granny..."**

Mizuki winced, his fear confirmed. Aoba and Koujaku was looking at him with betrayed looks on their faces. That hurt.

"I swear I have no idea why I would do that." Mizuki told them. They looked skeptical for a moment.

"Could be doing it under duress." Sei said in Mizuki's defense. He, of course, knew the truth. But he couldn't reveal the truth without giving everything away.

"Do you think so?" Aoba asked, not wanting to believe that his friend would betray him like that. At Sei's nod, he felt relief.

-line break-

 **I can't believe it's been six months since my last update. I am SO very sorry. I had not realized how much time had passed.**

 **I had gotten caught up in playing other games. Starting with Undertale and at the moment, Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Both are great games and I suggest checking them out.**

 **I would like to give a special thanks to whovian212 who had sent me a message reminding me to update.**

 **I know this isn't my best chapter, but it may take a few for me to get back in the swing of writing this.**

 **I'm not going to give any promises on when the next chapter will be out, but I don't think it will take another six month. If I'm taking to long like that again, feel free to send me a message to remind me to write because there is a chance I'm distracted by something else.**

 **As always, please review and let me know what you guys think of this chapter. Your input does help me improve the writing of this story. If there is something specific you want to see happen in it, just let me know.**

 **Until next time.**


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